Labyrinth of Dreams
by ChielRobhinne Bezarius
Summary: Like any other children, Ciel likes to read bedtime stories and playing games. Like any other teenagers, Oz likes going on adventures. What will happen if they both got themselves involved in the world of shattered dreams and broken fairy tales? Will there be a 'Happily-Ever-After' in the end? Contains Pedophilia and hints of shonen-ai. Don't like, don't read.
1. A Bedtime Story

**Disclaimer:** _The only characters I own here are the Blaire siblings. The rest belongs to their respective authors—Yana Toboso-sama and Jun Mochizuki-sama. I wish, I own Ciel and Oz, though. Talk about rotten luck. =_=_

**Other Genres:** _Angst, Fantasy, Drama, Adventure, Supernatural, Romance_

**A/N:** _This is my second published work here in FF. I'm currently working on this one, thus resulting to abandoning my other unpublished crappy stories. There will be implications of Shonen-ai, I guess. Actually, I had planned on making none at all. But I know some readers (including me) have distorted minds, so fine, have it that way. Some details were based from various Fairy tales and from the Manga, of course. Majority of the characters will be out from their usual characters, so do not expect to see them acting like themselves (especially Ciel and Sebastian (?)). Ciel is a sweet, little kid here and he has a sister. Also, I will alter some of the character's connections. Oh, and yeah, please, I will appreciate it if you won't call me a pedophile (even if I am somewhat harassing that "poor boy" in my mind.). Thank god I had never thought of putting myself in his partner's position. Pairing him with others *insert horrible acts here* gives me so much joy. I am such an awful girl. My mind is filled with perverted thoughts *crying and laughing at the same time*. Don't kill me for my bad grammar (English is not my first language) and apparent inconsistencies with the characters' behavior (I just do enjoying altering it). Boo, anyway, this is rated T, but may go up to M soon. Please, enjoy! :D_

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**Labyrinth of Dreams**

**Chapter I:** Bedtime Stories

It was a peaceful night—the moon bare, the trees steady, the breeze silent—everything seemed to be in order. A girl—aged fourteen and has short bluish silver hair—was having a quiet little time with her ten-year-old, grayish blue-haired little brother. "'Are you lost, Children? Ah, you must be very tired. Come inside and let nice old Granny give you something to eat,' said the old lady. They were very hungry and the place looks nice enough for it was filled with various sweets, so Hansel and Gretel went inside and accept the tempting offer of the old lady—" she was reading him a bedtime story when someone entered their tiny little world, interrupting her from reading.

"Zwei, dear?" It was their mother who called—a lady in her early 30's bearing a beautiful golden brown hair. "Isn't it time for bed already? It's late. Go back to your room." The girl, who was named Zwei, nodded and closed the book she was holding. "Go give your brother a goodnight kiss and off you go to bed too." Zwei was about to do what she was told when her brother halted her.

"Wait! It's unfair. She hasn't finished reading me the story yet. Please, don't let us sleep yet, Mommy," the boy pleaded and clung to her sister like a little Koala.

"But, sweetheart, aren't you always asking your sister to read the same story to you countless of times now already? I bet you had already memorized that one."

"I just like the story… plus I like it when sister reads to me."

"Then let her read you another one, but let it be for tomorrow. It's not good for the both of you to stay up late." Rachel, the sibling's mother, sat by the edge of the bed and gently tucked her son under the soft covers. The boy struggled a little, but after realizing that what he was doing won't take him anywhere, he gave up; though, telling his mother that he won't sleep unless his sister finished reading to him. Rachel sighed. She was about to let the boy do what he wants when her husband suddenly entered the said room.

"That won't do, Ciel," Vincent, the said man, said as he approached his family. "Be a good boy and listen to your mother." Ciel pouted. It would be a complete defeat now that his father was there. The latter put a hand on his son's head, while giving his daughter a smile. He went to check on his daughter in her room minutes ago before he went to check on son, but he found her gone and thought she must be hanging around with her little brother. The Earl found out that he was extremely right about it.

"Father, will you let me sleep with Ciel instead?" Zwei asked. The couple agreed, in return that they promise not to read anymore stories for the night. They left after making sure that their children were already fast asleep.

The next morning was another normal day for that family, except for the unusual loud noises Ciel was making from running around hallways on the second floor. He went to a halt after arriving inside his sister's room. Right at that moment, Zwei was on her bed staring outside her window. Ciel ran once more and dived at his sister, knocking the said girl down. "Ciel, you can't just jump into people like that. It will surely hurt if it's not me," his sister said.

The boy grinned, totally ignoring his sister's warning. "What are you looking at, Echo?" he asked. He has the habit of calling his sister various nicknames, Echo or Noise for example, which all depends on the girl's mood. "Are there any interesting object outside?"

"Nothing… just merely staring."

He smiled this time after remembering what he went there for in the first place. "Look at this, Echo! I found a bedtime story!" he said, waving the said book up in the air. Zwei gently pushed her brother up as she went on sitting. The boy was now sitting on her lap, straddling her. She offered a smile in return and took the book from his hand.

Ciel loves to read, any kind of books will do as long as he enjoys reading it, so Zwei offers a lot of her time reading various stories to him. If Ciel is happy then she is too. "It was published just this year. I read the summary. It's about a boy who was casted into the Abyss," Ciel explained. The details instantly poked Zwei's interest. "Sister, isn't Abyss similar to Hell?"

Zwei patted her brother's head and said, "I don't think so. Hell is a lake of fire, while Abyss is like a broken toy box, or more similar to a prison as what the old fairy tales described it to be. Although, either way, these two places are connected… this is where bad people are thrown out."

"Maybe it's like a distorted version of wonderland. I wonder if people can have a tour down there."

"Those stories are already mixing with your reality. Avoid that one or you'll lose your way in the maze of dreams."

Ciel stared at his sister for a while before he burst into laughter. "You're taking it seriously, sister. Plus there's no way I'll let myself be lost. I'm good at deciphering puzzles."

"Mazes are far from puzzles."

"They're just the same," he contradicted. "Will you read this one to me later before going to bed?"

Zwei thought for a moment before coming up with a decision. "We can do that right now." The two children both rested their backs on the pillows, so that they would have a better view of the book in a comfortable position. Zwei began to read. She is a fast reader so Ciel doesn't get bored whenever she reads. "…and so it was really destined of him to be in such a place. 'I, who bears the chain of conviction, shall now pass judgment upon you. Your sin is your very existence. With this hand of mine, I sentenced you to be dragged into the bottomless pit of the Abyss,' were the words that rang in his ears over and over again. Then afterwards he found himself in that place—a prison where all things are broken."

There was silence after that. Zwei was about to continue when her brother spoke. "Don't you think it's unfair?"

She looked down at him and asked what does he meant by that.

"They killed him just because he exists… and just because his existence is a sin itself. They didn't even explain to him well why they are considering him that way. Aren't all people deserves to live? Even if they are the most ruthless murderers on earth, all people are the same."

"What are you ranting about? It wasn't stated that they killed him. They just simply dragged him down there."

"Isn't it the same? Being in the Abyss is much similar to being dead."

"Oh? You're a troublesome listener. Just let me finish reading, will you?" Zwei pinched her brother on the cheek and giggled. Ciel looked up at her a little surprised. To giggle like that isn't like his sister at all when she's on her _Echo_ mode. Zwei ignored him and continued reading. "He met a chain. It was different from any other chains he saw. The others were like monsters, but this one is much like an ordinary human like him—it was a girl with a long black hair and a pair of purple eyes. Somehow, he thought that her existence is somewhat familiar… they formed a contract and was able to get out of the Abyss together," Zwei read, on and on, continuing like she was just singing a lullaby, "…a lot had happened. From the short period of time that he had spent in the Abyss, a lot of things had changed. From what he didn't realize at first was that ten years had already passed… he didn't age; he remained the same while the people around him had changed and left him behind. 'Abyss is a distorted time warp. Even if you managed to escape from it, there's no guarantee that you'll return to your original time.' He never had the slightest clue. So that is why everything seemed different—"

"What? Ten years?" Ciel flinched. He just suddenly buried his face on her sister's chest and whimpered like a lost and hungry puppy.

"What's wrong? Are you crying?"

"I don't want that to happen to me," Ciel said, fighting through his upcoming tears as he looked up and faced his sister. "W-What if… I am dragged there too and came back and you guys are not here anymore? I-I don't know what I'll do. Abyss is a scary place… and a world without Echo, Mommy, and Daddy will be a lonely place."

"That won't happen to you. You're not a bad person." Zwei embraced her brother tight and nuzzled on his hair.

"T-Then, what if I accidentally do something bad? Will they throw me there as well?"

Zwei stopped what she was doing and stared down at Ciel with a serious face. "Sister won't allow it. Ciel don't have to worry anymore." Ciel was convinced. He forced a smile and asked her sister to continue. "…he met a lot of people along his journey. People who taught him things, people who made him realize, people who shared him their thoughts, people who wanted to protect, even those who opposes—them who wanted nothing but destruction, those who wanted to drag people into their mess and downfall, those who only live to use people for their own benefits. 'Abyss is not something like you see in fairy tales. To them, it is a womb for birthing weapons called Chains. That is why they want to obtain the Will of the Abyss. It is an existence you could call the core that makes up the space… and you, is the key for obtaining the Will. Your existence will be an essential tool. That is why they drag you down into that distorted place."

"What kind of reason was that? I don't really understand some humans. They are very random," Ciel complained once more. He was getting a little annoyed now. "Sister… what can you say about it?"

"I think people are constant liars. They lie to others, as well as to themselves."

"Are we included?"

"I guess… because humans have no scruples about lying."

"I-I'm…" Zwei was suddenly taken aback upon seeing her brother fighting another urge to cry. "…a liar?"

"No. I was kidding."

"B-But, you were so serious."

_"Ah, this isn't good. I can't take it anymore." _Just seeing her brother like that makes her want to squeal so badly. She needed a switch. "Kyuh! Ciel is so cute!" She suddenly dived into him, knocking him down this time. Ah, it was childish indeed, but she doesn't care anymore as long as she could let out her suppressed feelings.

"Wah—Noise* is here!" Ciel screamed. He shifted to calling his sister another of her aliases.

"No! It's Zwei! Call me Zwei! Come on, Ciel~" She was laughing now while nuzzling her face on her little brother.

"Aw, come on. Give me back Echo. I like her more."

"Hey, you're rude… after I went all the trouble for showing you my real—"

"So this is where the young lady and the young master hid? I've been looking all over for you," went a voice which interrupted Zwei from talking. She and Ciel both looked at the direction of the voice, making them beamed from delight upon seeing the person.

"Sebastian!" Zwei released her brother from her embrace and ran to do the same to their butler.

"Oh, she's back? I bet it's the young master's cuteness which had triggered this," Sebastian said, chuckling.

Ciel didn't seem to hear what Sebastian had said. Instead of responding, he jumped down from the bed and ran towards them as well. "Me too! Me too! I want a hug too!"

Sebastian raised his other arm to greet Ciel towards him while chuckling from the amusement he was having. "My, what troublesome little masters… What were you two doing in here?"

Ciel explained his short adventure in the library a while ago and to how he found the book, which he had asked his sister to read. "It was a pretty cool book so I thought that it might be interesting enough to read… that's why I ended up in here with sister," he added as he explained as well the content of the said material.

"May I ask the name of the boy in the story?" Ciel told him the name of the main character. Sebastian thought for a second. The name was so familiar that he was so sure that he already met someone who was bearing the same one. He just cut himself away from his thoughts when Ciel asked him if he knew anything about chains. "They are monsters used as weapons, young master." Ciel responded by asking him again, this time asking if Chains are similar to Demons. "No, young master. They are much different from them."

"Well… are they real? I mean… both Chains and Demons."

Sebastian paused for a while. He couldn't just randomly teach his little master things that are not supposed to be heard by children—especially to curious ones such as Ciel. But, it's not like him not to tell the truth. "Yes, they are real."

"No, Sebastian! You'll scare him!" Zwei yelled, immediately hugging her little brother for comfort. "Ciel will run away and cry at Mom and Dad. They'll get mad at both of us for sure."

"I-I won't do that! I'm not scared!" Ciel defended. Zwei teased him, telling him things like he always ended up crying anyway even if he does not admit that he's scared. Before they ended up quarrelling, Sebastian stepped in between to stop them. Ciel turned back his attention at the tall butler and asked one more question. "Do you lie, Sebastian?"

Sebastian smiled and said, "I am not like humans, young master. I do not lie." The children both stared at him in awe. Their butler is just too amazing. "Now, shall I read you a story before bed?"

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**A/N:** _*Please don't be confused. Echo, Noise/Noisy, and Zwei are the same persons. Well, Zwei (though I like Echo more) is my number one favorite girl in Pandora Hearts, followed by Charlotte, then Sharon, and Lily. I don't know if I like Alice or not; anyway, it's not a big deal. Sorry if I made Ciel act like a little kid. I love the Shota Ciel and so is Sebastian acting all cuddly to Ciel. :3_

_You can share your thoughts if you like._


	2. The Other Side of the Mirror

**Disclaimer: **Black Butler and Pandora Hearts is not mine.

**A/N: **No one loves me. They didn't like my story. T_T Anyway, I'll still post the next chapters in case someone thought of wasting his/her time reading this.

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**Chapter II:** The Other Side of the Mirror

_It's the same group of people again, _he thought. _As much as I like socializing, this party still bores me._

It was a gentle, yet dull evening. Another party had been held in that mansion. A fifteen-year-old, blond-haired boy wearing velvet green shorts, white undershirt, black vest and tie, same velvet green overcoat, black socks and boots was examining the people in the ballroom with his poignant emerald eyes. He was standing alone on a nearby corner when, alas, a group of ladies noticed his presence.

"Oh, look at him. Doesn't he look exactly like the deceased son of Duke Vessalius?" asked the lady wearing a blue headdress on her neatly-tied brown hair.

"Yes, he is indeed! I heard he is a close relative of the Duke. What a charming boy! Isn't he the same lad Lord Oscar brought at your birthday celebration?" answered the one who was wearing a pretty, yellow, laced gown. "Let us approach him, ladies. The lad looks lonely."

The ladies went on their way towards the lad. The latter cursed himself for being a wallflower and for being there in that party in the first place. But, being a part of a noble family, he had no choice but to entertain anyone who will greet him. The ladies started on with their questions: things like why was he alone, where's the young lady who was with him, if the said lady was his fiancée, why he was standing there like a wallflower, and other such rubbish. He was responding, but all of it seemed to go straight out of his ear. He doesn't care anyway. For him, all of that was nonsense. He did chat and dance a little, but his mind was so tired that he barely enjoyed any of it. When the party ended, he immediately excused himself and retired ahead of the others. He needed a rest, and the best thing to do was to immerse himself in a dream.

_Like you, I want to get out of here too._

_All you have to do is call my name._

_Ah, is this as far as I can get? It will be alright if you only run._

_Run away, O—_

_ "_—z!" a loud call echoed through the whole room. It was already morning. The blinding lights of the sun had caused a little difficulty for him to see. When he finally adjusted to the light, he immediately recognized the one who called. It was a girl around his age—quite the lively one he wouldn't expect every morning.

"Good morning, Alice," he greeted as he did some stretching. He went down from bed and started fixing himself for the day.

"I'm hungry. They won't give me any food unless you're awake."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll be done in a minute. I'll join you."

"Will they be serving meat?" the girl asked as she threw herself down on the bed.

"I don't think so, Alice. They don't usually serve meat during breakfast. But since it's you I might ask a special offer," he said, smiling at the said girl. After getting himself ready, the two of them headed out to join the others at breakfast. When they finished their meals and rested for a while, the boy asked the girl to accompany him in taking a little stroll in the garden.

"Alice, have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and saw your reflection, but somehow the 'you' that was reflected on it was not entirely you?"

"Eh?" Alice gave him a confused look. "I don't get you, Oz. Isn't it when you look at the mirror, what's reflected is always the same? Anyway, looking at yourself in mirrors is very troublesome and such a waste of time. I don't get why Sharon and the others spend most of their time in front of it."

Oz stared dumbfounded at Alice. A few seconds later, he burst out laughing. "Yes you're right. Forget what I have said. I'm just entertaining myself."

Alice stared back at Oz. Somehow she could feel the lingering sadness in the boy's façade. "Why, Oz… do you like it when you stare at the mirror?"

He smiled at her and said, "No, not really. Every time I look at my reflection, I remember that certain past I had. My sin… that existence that wasn't supposed to subsist… I'm supposed to be dead a long time ago, if it wasn't for you—" he paused. He didn't realize it at first, though when he did, an intense blush crept on his cheeks. "A-Alice, what are you doing?" The girl was silent for a change. She was leaning on the boy, lips touching his cheek. It wasn't really something like what it was supposed to be. She had bit the poor boy all of a sudden. "I-It hurts," he mumbled after Alice released him. He caressed the bitten cheek and looked back at her, still blushing. "W-Why did you do that?"

"Because you were making that face," she explained, rather proudly. "Sharon said that if I do that to a boy, he'll gain lots of energy. The boy on that book she showed me became lively after the girl bit him on his cheek."

Now he knew where that came from. The only difference is she had understood it wrong. "I-It was something different, Alice. You don't just do that to anyone."

"Why?

"Because…" he paused for a second. The thing the girl meant to do was to kiss him, but it turned out that she misunderstood the kissing from biting people on their cheeks. Anything that has got to do with Romance, she unreasonably fails at it. Oz wouldn't be surprised. After all, she's not really what her appearance states her to be. He guessed explaining it to Alice wouldn't lead them both anywhere. "Forget it. Anyway, why were you looking at something like that? Was that a new preference? It's good to like books, but you have to consider what to like."

"I was curious, that's why. Sharon kept on blubbering things about love and jealousy. I don't really care if I can't eat it. She said jealousy is sour and sweet. I don't like sour foods. But that book seemed interesting so I asked her about it."

Oz burst into laughter once more after hearing what Alice had said. "Are you always that curious? The things Sharon was talking about were feelings. They are not food, Alice. It's just a way to describe it." Alice stared at him with an annoyed look. "You know, you remind me of that Alice in _'Through the Looking Glass'. _She's as curious as you."

"What's that?"

"It's a book. You know, Alice Liddell in 'Alice in Wonderland'. She ended up following a white rabbit because she was curious why it was wearing a tailcoat and to where it was heading. She found herself in wonderland after that… and a lot of curious, weird things happened to her. 'Through the Looking Glass' was the next series."

"Hah! What a fool! If I were that Alice I wouldn't follow that White Rabbit!* She's annoying and that rabbit is an enemy!"

"It's different from her," Oz explained once more through his laughter. "I'll read it to you if I had the chance. You should listen carefully and learn from the story." Alice pouted. She really doesn't like that White Rabbit. "Fairy tales are great, don't you think? Most of it always ends up with a happy ending. I wish I could be in one."

_Be careful on what you wish for._

"Ugh!" For a moment, a sharp pain hit the boy's head. Oz held on to it as he tried to regain his composure. _"My ears are ringing… W-Whose voice was that?"_ It was a weird feeling. He wasn't making things up, too certain that someone had just whispered in his ears. After that certain incident, he had been experiencing a lot of weird things.

"O-Oz! What's wrong?" Alice immediately came to his aid. Oz had convinced himself that he was alright. But the pain was just too unbearable that he passed out, leaving Alice calling for his name over and over again.

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**Author's Note:** *The White Rabbit here refers to the White Alice or the Will of the Abyss. Alice had mistaken it for her. For more elaboration, she's Alice's twin. Anyway, you'll get it more if you're reading Pandora Hearts. By the way, as to clear it, I'm not claiming Oz and Alice's conversation about Jealousy and the part where Alice bit Oz on the cheek as my own. It was taken from the Manga (the Jealousy part is somewhere here in Retrace XXVIII: Modulation, while the Kiss part is somewhere in Retrace XLI: Where Am I?)

Sorry for making Oz a little unsociable.

If you want, you can review. I'm open to suggestions. :)  
I'll update again next time.


	3. A Happy Birthday

**D****isclaimer: **How I wish I own these wonderful characters.

**A/N:** Here's the third chapter! It's Young Master's birthday! Hooray!

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**Chapter III:** A Happy Birthday

"Since today is a very special day, Chef Bard prepared a _Medieval Departed Creamed Fish_ and _Potato Mint Salad_, and a side dish of _French toast with ginger_ for breakfast. I have prepared as well _Assam Black Tea_ for the Masters and Milk Tea for the young lady and the young master," Sebastian said as he began preparing the said tea and setting them one by one in front of each of the family members. "Please enjoy your meal to the fullest."

"Since you already said that today is a special day, why don't you and the others join us in breakfast as well?" Vincent, the head master of the Phantomhive household, asked after taking a sip from his Wedgwood Blue-White tea cap. Rachel instantly agreed to her husband's brilliant proposition. It's been a while since they have done that simple gathering together with the servants.

"It's an honor, Master, but I am afraid I have to decline. Mere servants like us are not fit to sit on the same table with the masters. It will disgrace the name of the family," Sebastian answered as he took a slight bow.

"What nonsense, Sebastian. If I order such a thing to you, you are bound to obey. Isn't that what a servant should do? Even if your role is just my children's simple butler, it won't make any difference." Vincent smiled at the speechless butler on his side. "Now, hurry up and call for Finnian and the others. It's bad to make the food wait." Sebastian bowed for the second time and excused himself.

When he arrived at the kitchen, the other servants were still on their chairs, slacking around. Once they saw the butler coming, all of them started panicking, creating mess all over the room. "Really, what are you guys doing?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow. Dealing with useless co-servants is tougher than dealing with spoiled little masters.

"M-Mr. Sebastian, you surprised us!" it was Meilin, the maid in-charge of the cleaning, shouted from panic.

"It was because you guys are slacking off. You're supposed to be doing your jobs now. Are you done with the linens?" Sebastian asked and after that turned to look at the young gardener named Finnian. "Finny, have you trimmed the garden yet?" Then next to the Chef, Bradroy, who isn't really a chef to the core; all he does is create mess in the kitchen using his flame thrower. All the cooking was actually done by Sebastian. He just doesn't have any choice but to present the meals by the chef's name so that the latter wouldn't be deemed that of a much useless guy. "You should start thinking of what to prepare for lunch now… and oh, please stop blowing down the kitchen. You're lucky the master didn't ask anything regarding all the ruckus you had made." Next was to address the young footman, Snake, whom he had hired just a few months ago. "I understand that you're new here and you don't have that much of an experience, but please do your job the best way that you can. You should be standing by the door now. What if someone pay any of the family members a surprise visit? The name of the family will surely go down in a whim." Then next to the pretty maid beside Bard who happened to be Lady Rachel's favorite maid, "Lotti, aren't you supposed to be in the dining hall assisting her lady with her meal?"

"Oh really, Sebastian, it's too early in the morning yet you already have that scowl on your face. Could you please relax a little?" Charlotte, or better known as Lotti, said with a smirk as she poked the young man on his cheek. "Lady Rachel didn't call for me so it's better to stay in here with them."

Sebastian sighed, turned around, and walked towards the door. "That was just a reminder. Hurry up you all. Go and fixed yourselves. The masters want us to join them for breakfast."

All the other servants stared back at Sebastian, wide eyed. "Whaaaaaaat?" Although shocked and embarrassed, the servants all dined with Vincent and the others. After the meal, they all went back and started doing their respective jobs, which they had accomplished just in time after lunch. Back at the kitchen, Sebastian found them sitting on their chairs with their vibrant faces on.

"There's no time to sit around, people. We have so much work to do for today."

"Eh, we're already done with our jobs," Finny stated.

"Really, have you guys forgotten what today is? It's the young master's birthday, so hurry up and help me prepare. Master Vincent wants this day to be grand. There will be a party this afternoon and their relatives and friends will be attending."

Finnian and the rest beamed from delight upon the mention of the word party. "Is it a children's party? I can't wait for this afternoon! Oh, yes we have to get the young master a present!"

"Now, don't be too excited. It's a children's party, alright, but don't expect it to be the normal one. There are only a few children who will attend since the young master doesn't like to socialize that much with other children," Sebastian further explained and then turned his attention at Lotti. "Ah, that's it… Lady Rachel summons you."

"Geez… say it ahead before your rants next time. You're putting me into trouble." Charlotte strolled out from the kitchen, straight to the couple's chamber. She knocked twice, and upon entering saw her mistress getting ready. "Excuse me, my lady."

"Oh, Lotti! Could you help me with my dress?" Charlotte nodded. After helping Rachel get dressed, she also did her hair and prepared some of the things the lady should need for that day. She stayed for an hour with her until Rachel asked her if she could prepare the children as well since it's only a matter of two hours before the visitors come. She went on with her duty and found Zwei and Ciel in the young lady's room, fast asleep.

"_Oh, sleeping at this time of the day? I thought children hate afternoon naps?_" Charlotte slowly shook the young lady from her sleep first. It wasn't that hard to wake her since she's a light sleeper; the one whom she found hard to wake up was Ciel who likes to enjoy the comforts of blankets and beds. "Forgive me, darlings, but it's time to wake up." She helped Zwei with her bath and clothes first. The latter is already a teenager, so Charlotte found it too easy when helping her. When she went out from the dressing room with Zwei, who was now wearing a pretty blue balloon gown with intricate trimmings—bows and laces occupying the hems of the bodice, sleeves, and the skirt, and a big white ribbon placed on her collar—she sighed in defeat after seeing Ciel still lying on the bed. The child was too hard to handle. She wondered how Sebastian was able to babysit a brat like him. "Young master, wake up. How will I be able to give you a bath if you're sleeping?"

"B-Bath?" Ciel muttered with his half-opened eyes. "I don't want to take a bath yet."

"Oh no, a special day like this needs a special appearance. Come on." Charlotte picked her little master up. The boy struggled a little and just gave up after Lotti managed to take him inside the bathroom. "I'm going to take your clothes no—"

"Wha—I'll do it! Don't peek!" Charlotte giggled and promised him that she won't look. After taking his clothes off, Ciel immediately hid himself in the bathtub and asked for his butler. He do not mind if it's Sebastian who gives him a bath or helps him with his clothes every day. Normally, he wouldn't react violently, knowing that he is still a child after all and there's nothing to be shameful about. It's just to him, it is indecent to let a girl do the job. Women aren't supposed to see a naked man. One could only do that after marriage, or so that was what his parents' had taught him. But, in his case, he doesn't know. Children do not supposed to mind it and he is a child, thus he had no choice. He is just the type of kid who easily gets embarrassed over trivial things such as that.

"Sebastian is very busy, young master. Come on, you don't have to feel embarrassed. I already saw that anyway," she said, laughing. Ciel blushed furiously and hid his face on his hand as Lotti continued with her task. After that embarrassing act on Ciel's part, Charlotte managed to dress him in a ruffled white shirt with a black vest and a huge ribbon on the collar, black shorts, white socks, and a pair of black-laced boots. "There, you're ready. Go and greet your parents now, you two."

* * *

"Happy birthday, Ciel!" went the greeting. The party had already started and a lot of people came to celebrate with the boy. Some of them were friends of his parents so he didn't know a lot from the visitors. He didn't care that much anyway as long as they gave him presents.

Ciel was sitting on his father's lap at that time, when a handsome young man approached the Earl. He has a sparkling blonde hair and a pair of mesmerizing purple eyes, which seemed like jewels that could pull any ladies down on their heels. "It is an honour to be invited here in this fabulous party, Earl, given that it is my first time to talk to you in person. I am really grateful to meet your family."

"I heard that you were also fond of charity events so I had thought of inviting you over," Vincent answered with a smile as he stood up to greet the man properly. "Is the Viscount of Druitt enjoying himself? I would like to apologize for this is just a mere children's party. I'm afraid we only have prepared a few dances for the visitors."

"Oh, fear not, Lord Phantomhive. I am enjoying myself. As you know, I'm good with children. They're like angels sent to us from above. I'm certain yours are like them as well," the Viscount of Druitt, Aleister Chamber, answered with delight.

"I believe so too." Vincent peeked down on his side as he remembered his son who was with him. "Ah, I almost forget. Did my son already greet you?" the Earl asked his son to make an appearance. Ciel did so, shyly.

"Oh, this is him? What a pretty boy! He looks so much like you and Lady Rachel." Aleister complimented, patting Ciel on the head. "I wasn't able to see him a while ago for I was a little late. It's very nice to meet you, uh…"

"… it's Ciel, sir," the boy answered.

"Ah, yes, Ciel… What a lovely name you have there, more like the pretty sky of England and France. Here, take my present. Forgive me if that is all I could give. I couldn't choose what to pick."

"Thank you, sir. It's well-appreciated." Ciel took the small box and bowed slightly at the Viscount. He looked up at his father after, asking if he could go and play. Vincent nodded, letting his son run off towards the other children. The first person whom Ciel approached was his sister, who was standing alone on the balcony. She was somewhat looking at someone whom Ciel couldn't decipher who it was. "Sister!"

Zwei immediately turned to look at her brother when she heard him called. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be having fun at your party."

"I can't have fun if Echo is not with me."

Zwei blushed from the compliment. She raised her arms and welcomed her brother to an embrace. "Do I really make you happy?"

"Of course! I love you, that's why." Ciel smiled, which his sister offered back. "By the way, sister… who is it you were looking at?"

"Nothing… Just some random blonde-haired boy…"

"Oh." Ciel stared at his sister for a while before he voiced out something very ridiculous for Zwei's point of view. "Have you fallen in love?"

"N-No," was her quick response. She needed to brush off the blush on her face before Ciel could even notice. "He's not someone of importance."

"I won't permit it if you fell in love with another boy. You should just look at me and no one else."

Zwei laughed. She had another switch. "How cute! What are you talking about? You're saying it so wrong, Ciel! We're siblings, you know."

"B-But… s-sister is mine!" It was now Ciel who was blushing so hard.

"I know. But little brats like you are not supposed to say things like that. They're only for people like Mom and Dad."

"Then, you're not allowed to do that too… or stare at people that caught your attention."

"You're talking like an adult. Of course, I'm allowed. I'm already fourteen. Once I turned fifteen, I will be allowed to be seen into society and will surely meet a lot of people. By that time, I am already a lady," Zwei explained. It had been a long time since she talked about things like that. Whenever she's on her other mode, she doesn't care about ladies' stuff and the likes. Ciel pouted from what he heard from his sister. Surely, the thought didn't make him least happy. "But, don't worry… if that happens, you're still my number one, though you'll be second if I include Dad on the list."

"R-Really?" Ciel smiled a little. Hearing those simple words made him at least a little happy. Zwei nodded and hugged her brother once more. "Ah, look sister, the Viscount gave this to me as a present," Ciel mentioned when he remembered the little box he was holding and the reason why he went on looking for his sister in the first place. "Let's open it together." Zwei helped him open the box. The gift contained a plain silver bangle draped with a single blue stone at the centre. Its simplicity was enough to make the children stared at it in admiration. "This is the first time someone gave me a bracelet." Zwei took the accessory and put it on Ciel's right wrist. "It's simple, yet so pretty. It doesn't suit me at all."

"Of course, it does, silly. Its beauty comes out more when you wear it. I think it's best if you won't take it off." Zwei smiled at her brother once more and then gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "That's my other gift to you. It's not something compared to what you received, but I hope you'll remember that. You're the cutest person on earth for me. Happy, happy birthday, my cute little brother… I love you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I made Charlotte a Phantomhive servant. Don't kill me. She's still a Baskerville here, though a different one. She's not evil or some sort. I'm thinking of pairing Ciel to Zwei. But, nah, maybe not. If I get bored with this, I'll make it happen. Incest alert!

I would like to apologize if there are some mistakes about the descriptions of the dresses. I'm still learning how to properly describe Victorian clothing.

Again, sorry for making Ciel act like that even though he just turned 11 in this chapter. I think of him as just adorable as that! I have a distorted way of looking towards kids. I believe that is how 11-year-old children should act (just from my own point of view, that is). They're still kids no matter how mature they are. xD

**Ciel:** Ne, are boys allowed to wear bracelets too?  
**Me:** Of course, sweetie. You just have to pick what to wear. The bangle I made you wear is a plain silver bracelet so it's fine. Although, as for your case, everything suits you, dear~  
**Ciel:** *looks at Zwei*  
**Zwei:** Cute.  
**Ciel:** W-What is it, Echo?  
**Zwei:** *POOF* HOW CUTE! *hugs Ciel*  
**Ciel:** Wah!

THAT IS NOTHING. XD  
Please, review!


	4. The Pied Piper of Dreams

**Disclaimer:** Not mine! *cries*

**A/N: **Sorry for whatever fault I had and thank you for those few people who like my story. I appreciate it. :) I'm sorry if this is a little mainstream and out of season :(

* * *

**Chapter IV:** The Pied Piper of Dreams

The cold winter breeze was felt more that day than usual. A lot of people, too, were busy preparing for the holiday season—that is, the month of December. Although a lot chose to stay indoors to savor the heat of their fireplaces, of course, some still found joy in spending time with families outside. Every month of December, merchants build winter bazaars to sell their products. Usually, they put it on top of frozen rivers and ponds to add more colorful thrill on their publicity stunt. Right now, many had lined up at London, especially near the famous Thames.

Oz and the company decided to have a visit at Central London that night. They have gathered some information from Sharon and Break that the bazaars, with its colorful lights and decors, look splendid during the night.

"Are you sure you want to go, Master Oz?" Sharon Rainsworth, the daughter of Duchess Rainsworth, asked the carefree lad in front of her. "It's awfully cold outside. It's the middle of winter, so I suggest that we visit it tomorrow."

"But, Sharon, you're the one who told us that it's beautiful there at night," Oz said back.

"Y-Yes I did… but I am not sure as I haven't seen it yet personally. Liam just informed me."

"Then, will it be better if we take a look?"

Sharon thought for a second. She, too, wanted to see it with her own eyes, so she just decided to agree to the boy's plan. Oz had won at last. It only took them fifteen minutes by carriage before arriving. It was indeed grand. There were many people gathering at the place; there were various Christmas items—sweets, gifts, lightings, decors, refreshments, street meals and such—being sold; there were even street performers and public theaters entertaining the customers and the visitors. Indeed, the weather was no match for such festivities.

"Hey, I think Miss Alice and the young master shouldn't wander off too much by themselves. You might get lost," Xerxes Break, Sharon's adopted brother, warned Oz and Alice who were quite enjoying themselves too much.

"What are you saying, Break? There's no way I'll get lost." Oz laughed at the thought, but his smile was replaced by a startled look when Break said something like, "you might not get lost, alright, but someone might take you away. If that happens, it will be very troublesome to find you amidst this crowd and snow." He tried to regain his cheerful self, knowing that Break really has the habit of scaring people by his words. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, could it be you don't know?"

Break was about to answer after seeing Oz's confused gaze, when Gilbert Knightray—Oz's manservant and best friend—took the trouble of responding to the question. "There had been disturbing news regarding some unusual kidnappings around London and its neighboring boundaries."

"Kidnapping?" it was Alice who asked, "Is that a work of some psychopath?"

"Who knows? The people called this man Pied Piper, for his method is very much similar to the Pied Piper of Hamelin in fairy tales… though it isn't certain if the man is indeed a male or a female."

"By the fairy tale, you mean he uses an instrument to lure children out from their beds?" Oz asked, getting more interested on the topic now. He just like adventures so much that he was often considered as a risk-taker, someone who likes putting themselves on unimaginable troubles.

"Quite similar, but not entirely. According to the information the Scotland Yard had gathered, he hypnotizes them and uses some kind of tune to make them submit to his orders. He only works at night."

"When did it start? I have no idea."

"Just weeks from now. It looks like the Queen has not been informed since her infamous Watchdog isn't making a move yet."

Break chuckle upon the mention of the title. It was his turn to share some thoughts. "I wonder what will happen if the Dog's puppy is to be caught by the hand of that sick bastard. Will he make a move without the Queen's orders?"

"Probably," Oz stated before a question escaped his lips. "So he kidnaps any children of all ages?"

"Oh, I'm afraid that's not the case, young master. You see, so far he only takes boys, ages ranging from fifteen and below, nobles or peasants; but looks like he took a lot from the nobles. I had a feeling that he's looking for someone." Oz looked a lot more confused now. He asked Break how well the latter is sure of his deduction. "Well, you haven't asked but he never asked for any ransom and he abandons the kidnapped boys in front of churches after a day or two with a note attached to them. 'He is a fallen one, far from what I've imagined him to be,' is what the note said." Oz felt a chill ran down his spine. The guy was a fanatical psychopath, or so what he believed he is to be. "If I were you, I would stay close to where the others are."

"You don't have to worry too much. I'm not a child anymore." Oz tried to convince himself that everything would be fine; after all what he said was true.

"Oh, yes, look who's turning 16 this month?" Break teased. "Oops, my bad… I mean 26." It only happened that the man stopped from his untimely gags when Sharon hit him with her fan. The lady started scolding him that they ended up spending their spare time with nonsense talks. However, Oz remained silent, listening to the others' petty quarrels. His head was immediately preoccupied with endless thoughts, which seemed to be the cause of his faint headache. For a moment, his world became silent, until the same thing from before happened once more.

_You seek for peril. Be careful or you'll end up getting lost._

Another ring, another whisper—what he knew after that was he was already back home, lying comfortably on his bed.

* * *

It happened unexpectedly.

It was the same day the Earl held his son's birthday party. When the celebration ended, everybody went home and the Earl and his family prepared for an early rest. However, Vincent chose to stay in his work room for a little bit. Something was bugging him that he couldn't brush it off from his mind. He was sitting on his huge armchair, thinking of the course of action he would take, when the door to his workplace opened, revealing his two children with their nightdresses on. "What are you still doing in here, kids? You should go to bed."

"We just want to say goodnight to you, Daddy," Ciel said as he approached his father.

Vincent greeted them both with a hug. "Ah, I don't know what I'll do if I lose my two precious angels."

"We're not going anywhere, Father." Zwei looked at her father's eyes. Somehow, she could see anxiety in them.

"I won't leave you," it was Ciel again and his reassuring smile.

"Yes, I know." Vincent put a single kiss on each of the children's forehead and bid them goodnight. Zwei led her brother back to his room. She had promised him that she would sleep with him again this time. The room has no lights on for Sebastian put them off a while ago when he set them to bed. It just happened that they went out to find their father. Now back to the dark room, Zwei made sure that she had her arms around her brother.

"I-It's too dark in here," Ciel whispered.

"Are you scared?" Zwei asked. She felt him nodding so she tightened her grip on him. "Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let you go." Holding unto her sister's words, Ciel instantly fell asleep at ease. No hindrances where to bother them that night.

It was an ordinary winter night—the moon hiding, the trees dancing, the breeze singing—everything seemed to be playing along with the weather. There was just one thing off with the night—a tune, a lovely melody synchronizing with his ear, something which only him could hear.

"_Come, child. Your playmate's waiting. The party is not over yet."_

* * *

**A/N:** Just ask me if you have any questions. Please, review if you like. :)


	5. Mad Hatter's Tea Party

**Disclaimer: **T_T

**A/N:** Another chapter. It's getting to M rating. Just a little bit more.

* * *

**Chapter V:** Mad Hatter's Tea Party

_Come here. Come here. _

_That's right. I'll make you forget. Everything that pains you… I'll make it all disappear._

_Now, take my hand. Come with me._

A hand stretches out towards the oblivion. There was a call, a distant voice calling, reminding him not go to. It came nearer and nearer, into his ears, into his mind, into his whole consciousness, until a light spread unto him, blinding his closed eyes.

"Wake up!" Oz almost screamed when he felt someone had just jumped on him. He snapped out from his sleep and saw Alice sitting on top of his belly. "Hey, Oz, how long do you intend to lie on your bed?"

Oz didn't know what to do at first. He just burst into laughter after Gilbert yelled, "Stupid Rabbit! Don't jump on people when they're sleeping in the middle of the night!"

"That's alright, Gil," he said and assisted Alice down from the bed. He looked around and saw Sharon and Break outside the balcony, sipping tea.

"It seemed like a nightmare just bothered you. Are you alright?" Gilbert asked. Oz just nod and smiled at him. "Sharon just prepared tea for us." He, Oz and Alice went to join the other two.

"Good thing you're awake, Master Oz. I've prepared rose tea and rose pudding for this night. I just had the feeling that tonight is a call for us to spend some time with friends." Sharon poured one for each of them. "If you like you can add some milk. It helps calm the mind especially after having a nightmare."

"Thanks, Sharon. I didn't know white roses can be used to make snacks."

"Oh, of course… they're quite useful in anything. I bet you didn't know as well that White Roses pleases all the senses even our sense of taste." Oz found the information amazing and truly helpful, that after he tasted the said snack, all his worries died out in an instant. He even ended up forgetting his nightmare.

* * *

A man sat quite cheerfully at the edge of a nicely-built bed for two, lips forming a small grin and purple eyes staring down at the figure lying under the thick cotton cover. His right hand was caressing the pale cheek of the boy beneath him, while his left was serving as support for his body which was now on a leaning-down position. The boy stirred on his sleep, muttering illegible words with his small, cherry-like lips. The man smirked. He ran his fingers on those lips, gently putting his index one inside to feel the incomparable warmness of the boy's tongue. The boy slightly choked from the pressure; then seconds later, he slowly opened his eyes, fully consuming the blinding lights before him. The man immediately fixed himself before the boy grew suspicious of his actions. He tried his best to act decent and smiled gently at the boy in order not to scare him.

The boy rubbed a hand over his eyes and stared, dumbfounded, at the man. "S-Sir?" He remembered him. He was in his party, the same man who gave him the silver bangle—Viscount of Druitt as his father had introduced, if he recalled. "W-Where am I? Where's my sister?" He began to panic when he realized that he wasn't in his own room anymore and his sister who was with him when he went to bed was nowhere to be found.

The viscount hushed him and told him that there's nothing to be afraid of. "Have you not recalled what happened? I found you outside my home, lying unconscious on the cold." Of course, the boy didn't remember any of it. There would be no way he would remember walking alone, half-asleep, in the middle of a winter night. The only thing he recalled was someone was singing to him a very pretty melody. The rest were vague from his memories. "But don't you worry, Ciel. I'll bring you home tomorrow to your parents… but you have to promise me first to behave. Is that as clear as a crystal?" The boy nodded, almost close to crying now. "Oh, forgive me. Did I scare you? No, don't cry. I didn't mean it like that. Ah, right, are you hungry? Look around you, dear."

Ciel did. His eyes didn't deceive him this time. Before him were lots and lots of mouth-watering foods. There were toys and bears and rabbits all made from chocolates and candies. Almost everything in that huge room—except for the walls, floors, bed, and linens—were made of sweets. It was like he was in a dream. It was very similar to the little cottage Hansel and Gretel found in the forest from his favorite fairy tale, the only difference was the old witch was nowhere in sight. "A-Amazing! Are they all edible?"

"Of course, and I had it all made for you. I had them all ordered immediately when you were sleeping. I just thought you might like it."

"I-I like it! Can I have one?"

"Like I said, it's all yours. Please help yourself. Your little friends are waiting for you," The Viscount mentioned, taking a look at the little chocolate animals sitting around the big table. He helped the little boy down the bed and led him towards them. "The tea party will start soon."

* * *

It was around midnight when Zwei woke up from her slumber after having a bad reverie. In her dream, she and her brother where in a poorly-lit room, staring at the vast space around them. There were no other things or person visible. A tune was also playing, but she couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. She held no interest to the melody, but it seemed like Ciel was her exact opposite. The boy was so attracted to the music that she ended up pulling him closer to her, afraid that he might just lose him. But despite her protection, in a single blink of an eye, Ciel entirely vanished from her side.

Zwei felt tears escaping from her eyes as she recalled the dream. She tossed and turned to face the other side of the bed. Horror instantly occupied her pale face when she saw her precious little brother gone. She immediately searched the whole room, hoping that she could find him lurking around somewhere. But then she thought, there's no way Ciel would wander off on his own in the middle of the night. She knew how much he despise the dark and if ever he thought of going into their parents' room, he would surely inform her first. She went out of their chamber this time and almost ended up searching the whole mansion, but she went back defeated. More tears escaped her eyes. There's no way he was gone. She screamed aloud, calling for Ciel's name over and over again. There came no answer, only distant running footsteps coming from the whole household whom she ended up waking from her loud crying voice.

* * *

Ciel's laughter boomed from the entire room. He was having a pretty pleasant time playing with the Viscount. The man had suggested that they play 'Ring-Around-The-Rosy' and other various games the two of them would enjoy. With all the food in front of him, Ciel didn't think of getting tired even in the slightest bit. That would be the first time he experienced eating a lot of sweets without anyone telling him to stop. Even if he believed so to himself that Sebastian's homemade sweets were the best in the world, he still couldn't say no to those tempting desserts. There's _Cherry pottage, Cream custard tart, Mille feuilles_ made from apricot and green tea, _Western style pear plum _and _blackberry custard fruit cake_, currants, _Berry summer pudding, Apple and raisin dip pie, European pear _and _blackberry buckle, Cottage pie, Chocolate macaroons with fruit fillings, Berry shortcakes, Golden syrup pudding, Lemon Myrtle Soufflé Glace_, imported black chocolates, _strawberry cake, lemon cake,_ _Black forest cake_ and _Gateau chocolate_, caramel and fruit candies dipped in honey and strawberries, icing and frostings, ice creams of different flavors, Crepes, Parfaits, and many more. There were so many to choose that he wasn't even sure if all of it would fit in his stomach.

"Do you like my present?" The Viscount asked while brushing a hand on Ciel's soft hair. The boy nodded enthusiastically. He was now nibbling on a medium-sized chocolate bunny. The man's smirk widened a little. He found staring at the boy interesting enough. The way he talks, move, eat, and laugh sends a tingling effect to the blonde young man's whole body. It had been a while since he felt this great. Surely, that innocent boy was the one he was looking for all those time. It's time for a real entertainment on his part. "Hey, Ciel… do you like chocolates that much?" Ciel answered by stating that it was his favorite from all the sweets he had tasted. "If you like it that much, I would like to show you something." The Viscount approached the wall behind the bed Ciel had lied on and pulled one of the candelabra down. A weird noise came out from below and the middle part of the floor opened, producing a small fountain of sticky melted chocolate.

Ciel's eyes widened from the scene. Sebastian had made a small version of it before but this thing in front of him was much gooier in appearance. "Wow," was all he could say.

"Why don't you try it now? It's one of the best chocolates in England." Ciel dipped a finger on the flowing substance and tasted it. His face flushed with bliss after having a taste of it that he ended up taking a lot from the fountain. The Viscount sat behind him and caught him just in time before he fell sideward. He was feeling fine a while ago, but it seemed like something was wrong with his vision now. "Are you alright, kitten?"

"I… feel weird… and my eyesight is kind of blurred." Ciel tried to shook of the feeling, but it seemed like he couldn't.

"Oh, that's a shame, isn't it? You won't be able to consume all of this." The smirking man pulled the boy closer to him, until the latter was now sitting on his lap. "Look at your hands. It's too sticky." He pulled Ciel's right hand close to his mouth and began licking the corners of his sweet fingers as well as his whole palm, not minding the somewhat surprised, confused look on the boy's face.

"S-Sir? Y-You can't do… that. I-It's embarrassing a-and—"

"You don't have to feel embarrassed, my cute little darling. I'll clean it up for you real good." After the gesture he did, he dipped his whole hand on the fountain and rinsed it just in time after his speech. "Would you care to have some more of my sweet melted chocolate?" he whispered in the boy's ear. When Ciel heard the word chocolate, he grabbed the hand of the viscount and did what the latter just did with his hand. _"Ah, his tongue is so warm and soft. This is more exciting than I thought." _ The drug he put on the chocolate was taking effect now. The boy's mind was blank, unconsciously doing the acts the viscount ordered him to carry out. As Ciel continued, more perverted thoughts occupied the Viscount's mind. He couldn't blame himself for having a fetish such as this. Aside from being a great womanizer, anything that has got to do with cute feminine little boys and tongues turn him on. That may sound as disgusting to the ear, but to him this is heaven. That was the first reason why he conducted such odd kidnappings, though the main reason why he was searching for someone exactly like Ciel was because of the order of a certain someone. "Ah, what a bad boy you are. You spilled chocolate stains on your white nightgown. This means that I won't be returning you by tomorrow. But since you're behaving like that, I'll reward you." He spilled more of the sweet stuff around and inside Ciel's mouth and used his tongue to clean him. "Ah, I could gobble you up right now! This cute face of yours is enough to make me melt. Don't dream of getting back to your parents. You'll be my playmate forever!"

Ciel slowly drifted off to a long slumber. His mind was tired and his whole body was numb, so it didn't take him long enough before he completely lost himself in a reverie. When he woke up the next morning, he was alone and everything was back to where it was before. He couldn't remember a thing from what he did from yesterday night. All he remembered was he ate and played from those whole chains of hours. All he claimed to know was it was the most wonderful tea party he ever had.

* * *

**A/N:** Muuu… Sorry, Ciel. You're so adorable, I couldn't help it! I think Viscount Druitt is a little OOC. Oh, yeah, If you're wondering how Ciel got there, here's the detail. He didn't get there on his own. The Viscount's statement, _"I found you outside... blahblah,"_ was a bluff, of course. A carriage was waiting for Ciel outside the vicinity of their estate. When he "sleepwalked" and found his way towards the appointed place, the abductors put him to sleep once again and then brought him to the Viscount's mansion.

By the way, majority of the sweets I mentioned above were taken from the Manga. I guess, they are Yana's property as well. There, I said it. It looks like, they still haven't found this good. Nah, never mind. As long as I'm happy writing this, I care less. I appreciate the other efforts though. :)


	6. The Lost Lamb

**Disclaimer: **I'll ask Yana if she can give Black Butler to me in exchange of cats. (Which I doubt would be impossible) XD

**A/N: **Here comes a sweet, sister-like Charlotte, a crying Zwei, and a serious Sebastian! Don't kill me for making them act like that.

* * *

**Chapter VI:** The Lost Lamb

Zwei was staring blankly at her window when Charlotte entered the room she where in. The older lady hesitated for a bit, but then found herself approaching the girl, who seemed to be lost in her own melancholic world. She knelt in front of her and held her dotingly by the arms. "Young lady?" she called in a whisper but loud enough to be heard by the girl.

The girl stirred from her daydream, realizing that there was someone who was with her. She glanced down at her, though averted her look in a matter of second after she saw the worry on her face.

"You can always talk to me, young lady. You've been too harsh on yourself. That won't do you any good if you kept it all to yourself," she preached. She had done it in a soothing manner in order not to put another burden on the poor child.

Zwei raised her head once more, giving the lady a broken expression. "Ciel… will he… Will my brother come back?"

Charlotte tried so hard not to show her a disheartened look. She pressed the girl's palms gently and smiled at her. "Of course, my lady. Your father and mother are already looking for him. I'm sure they'll find him. Have a little hope."

Zwei nodded her head a little. Charlotte thought that she had fully calmed the girl down, but was defeated when she saw tiny droplets of tears escaping her eyes. Zwei could no longer conceal her unhappiness. Being separated by her beloved brother broke her heart into tiny pieces, until there were no longer could be seen of it through the naked eye. She cried uncontrollably and held on to the lady who was at that time had plopped herself on the sofa beside her. "Lotti, I-I'm scared… afraid that I will lose him forever. I-I do not want that to happen. H-He's everything to me… Ciel is my precious brother. He's one of a kind. He's the only one who can make me laugh. T-To lose him is like dying." Zwei had never lied to her own feelings; though she had the habit of concealing it deep within her for a period of countless times to avoid nonsense outbreaks. But if it would come down to the point that she needed to let out what she feels, she gladly do so. The only case was it rarely happens and the only persons who often sees her with her stained, unbecoming behavior were Ciel and Sebastian that even her parents seldom sees her like that. That is why she believes that her brother had always been a part of her, that once that thread connecting them both be severed, she will surely find herself into ruin. She never wanted to burst like that in front of anybody, but the situation calls for it that even Charlotte had ended up seeing her in her worst.

The lady felt devastated. She embraced Zwei tightly as she continuously rubbed a hand on her back to calm her from crying. "N-Now, don't be like that, Zwei. The little master won't go anywhere. I assure you that he'll be back in no time. You don't have to be afraid." She did all her best to soothe her. After quite some time, she managed to bring the girl to sleep; just looking at her little lady's pale and teary face made her so weary that she couldn't even bring herself at ease. Even the thought of seeing her giving in from wrecked heartedness shutters her own heart to little fragments. After putting the sleeping girl on the couch beneath the window and pinning the curtains close, she briskly went out of the room towards the place she would most likely see her male companion. Just across the courtyard of their garden, she saw Sebastian standing beneath the snow-filled oak tree. The cold weather didn't seem to mind him even in the slightest. "Sebastian, I'm afraid we really have to move on."

The ever-so-perfect butler of the Phantomhive family looked at the half-weary lady with a slight frown on his face. His firm composure seemed to betray him this time. Just by looking at his face and his poignant ruby eyes, Charlotte could deduce that he, too, was very much troubled by the loss of his dear young master. The child had always been so close to him and he, as well, had always been so warm to the boy, despite his demonic nature that only she and the master knows.

"Sebastian?" Charlotte repeated calling for his name. The tense aura between them made her shiver. "Where do you think he is now?"

"God knows where," was his sarcastic answer. He bit his lower lip and closed his fists in a tight gesture.

"Can you pinpoint him?"

"I can't," was the other reply. "There seems to be a barrier of some sort repelling me from finding his location."

"Is that a no, then?" She knew the answer, of course. If Sebastian couldn't pinpoint the location of the abductors in the first place, then there's no hope in finding the young master. Going out in the cold in the middle of nowhere would be deemed futile.

"If anything happens to my little master, I swear I will tear that bastard into pieces," Sebastian said through his clenched teeth. Vincent had left him the task the first thing they heard it from Zwei. But after realizing that he couldn't use his supernatural powers he immediately informed his master which sent so much discomfort to the both of them. He cursed himself for not being able to do anything, though he did promise his master that he will try and identify his location once more even if it takes him the whole damn twenty-four hours to do so.

"Now, there's no need to add fuel to the heat. If you can't do anything about it, we have no choice but to wai—" he cut her short instantly.

"I will not sit around and wait!" He wailed from anger—both at himself and at the sick bastard who took Ciel. His eyes turned into a deep shade of pink instead of the normal red. Turning his back away, he vanished into the cold air, leaving Charlotte sighing to herself. He would gladly look for him even if it takes him forever. That's how far he is willing to go for that family, especially to that boy, who had been a great part of his demon existence.

* * *

Back at the Vessalius estate, Oz had been having a hard time swallowing his thoughts. Lately, he had been haunted by nightmares, which he couldn't decipher the message it was trying to convey. It was always the same dream of dark rooms, burning hallways, and pools of blood. In it, he was always running into the oblivion with his hands clutching a somewhat unfamiliar hand. He always wasn't given a chance to get a glimpse of the other person.

Wrapping a roll of cotton scarf around his neck and securing a thick coat over his body, Oz went out from his room to have a little stroll outside. The sensation the cold breeze was giving was a little low compared from the other days; it wouldn't kill him to stay and play outdoors—not that he would play in that kind of weather, anyways. He started to walk straight to the garden, every step creating a trudging, quirking noise. He couldn't hear anything aside from the noise of the passing and swirling air, swaying trees, and the noise of his boots. If everything could be this peaceful, then why wouldn't his mind leave him be? He kept hearing disturbing voices from his mind and annoying buzzing in his ears. Ever since he met Alice, these things had started cursing his everyday life. It's not like he was blaming the girl for it; he was just stating a mere fact. He knew how nice Alice is and how she could be cute at times despite her somewhat barbaric attitude. She's innocent and obviously doesn't know a lot from the real world, so there's no way she had done something to him when they formed that pact. Maybe it was him from the start. Maybe he has something which he didn't realize himself. Now— it's not the time for over thinking.

Oz just managed to escape from his swirling thoughts when he heard _that _familiar call. He looked around and saw his best friend by the window at the nearby wall. He was looking at him with a smile; his black raven hair was flowing along with the direction of the wind. "I was looking for you. What are you doing here outside? It's cold."

"I'm just taking a stroll by myself," Oz answered and decided to approach him. He put on a grin and helped himself up the window. Gilbert caught him by the hand before he end up hurting himself in case of falling. The blonde teen thanked him as he untangled the scarf from his neck. "Why were you looking for me?"

"Ah, here." He handed him a small package wrapped in green paper and white ribbon. "It came just today. It says it's for you."

Oz examined the box. The parcel contained no name or address of the sender. "Who would send me a nicely-looking present without even a tag?" Gilbert just answered him with a, 'who knows'. He carefully ripped the paper off after pulling the ribbon, and opened the lid. He released a confused look after seeing the content. The gift revealed a silver bangle with a small emerald gem attached somewhere at its middle. "Now, this is odd."

Gilbert took the box from Oz after noticing a piece of parchment attached at the inner side. The note consisted of the words, 'Here's an early present for a beautiful lad. This might seem rather embarrassing, but I must say that your hair is like the sun's golden threads and your eyes are like bright emeralds in its grandeur. Those are merely enough to captivate me. I desire for you to wear that simple gift until our meeting, which won't be long enough from now.'

"Now, that is something! Is that a confession? What do you think, Gil?" he asked with his rather excited voice. "Maybe it's from that girl I saw at the party I attended yesterday. I caught her staring at me thrice."

"Well, I don't think this came from a younger girl," Gilbert commented, adding more spark to the lad's excitement. Just thinking of unbounded mysteries thrills Oz to no end.

"Let's see after that meeting she was talking about."

* * *

A loud ringing tone was heard from a small quarter on the second floor of that immensely castle-looking mansion. Viscount Druitt trudged his way inside the said room and picked the telephone up from its rack. An enigmatic, hoarse-sounding voice greeted him from the other line.

'Do you have any news with you, Lord Chamber?' asked the one who called.

"If it's about the boy, Oh, yes I do," answered the almost grinning Viscount.

'Ooh! Do tell me, where is he? I will go there in a whim!' The man seemed thrilled now. He was the one who gave Aleister Chamber the order—or rather, asked the favor—to help him find the boy of his fantasies whom he had set his eyes on four years ago in a party held by an acquaintance. The Viscount had been working with him on various aspects, such as the underground selling of women's body parts, the occults, and the kidnappings they were currently into. They bumped into each other on one of the parties the Queen, herself, held in the Buckingham Palace. Being a handsome noble of status and a graduate of medical arts, Lord Chamber had been ever since attracting a lot of attention, and one of those avid fans was the Baron Kelvin. They were both into the occult and underground matters. The Baron, being a sick pedophile, had once conducted a kidnapping of children—boys and girls. Just like Viscount Druitt and Earl Phantomhive, he, as well, is fond of charity events. He even had an orphanage built for those street brats he found twenty years ago, who were now acting as his sons and daughters. They were trained to be performers at a travelling circus known as 'The Noah's Ark'. The Circus was cleared of suspicion from the abduction act after the Baron returned the kidnapped children back to their families without giving in his identity and whereabouts. It seemed like Baron Kelvin is also working under the orders of an unknown persona.

"Now, don't make haste, Lord Kelvin. You'll get down to it," the Viscount reminded.

'I cannot wait to feel that beautiful, untainted skin under my palms!'

"I'll make this clear to you, my lord. I will just merely lend him to you. Now that I was the one who found him, that little lamb is my property."

'Yes, yes… Will we stop getting more now? I will be much contented to have him alone.'

"Right after I led this other lost lamb back to my home," he said with light sinister chuckle. "Expect to have you pick up by tomorrow… And a good day to you, Baron Kelvin," and off he put down the thing without waiting for an answer. He went out from the room and head back into the little tower where he kept little Ciel plunged into his sweets. "Now, it's time to play my pretty melody."

* * *

Oz was lying on his bed now, watching constantly the silver bracelet hanging on his wrist. Gilbert had forced him to wear the thing to show his gratefulness in case he and the sender meet. Feeling half sleepy, Oz rose from the bed and stood beside the window. He opened it, letting the cool breeze in. There was an utter silence between his and the outside world for about some couple of minutes, when a vibrant noise penetrated his ears. It was faint, but he was very sure that it was a melody played with the use of a flute. Somehow, the tune made him feel at ease; it was enticing as well. Oz could no longer contain himself. He neglected the warm comfort of the mansion and went out. He wasn't wearing any scarf or a thick coat, just his long blue coat with trimmings, white collared shirt, black vest and black ribbon, blue knee-length breeches, white thigh socks, and a pair of black low-heeled shoes. He didn't mind the coldness; all he cared about was the tune which he followed without hesitation.

Oz made a halt in front of that same castle-like mansion. When it swung open, he looked at the man standing just inches away from the mahogany door. The boy's face showed signs of weariness, his eyes instantly giving in—as if asking the said man some pity to let him in and rest.

"Ah, what a poor lad! You must be very tired. Would you care to come inside and have some snacks? Come in. This is a house which shelters lost little lambs such as you. I'll be much pleased to have you".

* * *

**A/N:** I have nothing to say except for this: Oz will finally join the Viscount's fun! Poor laddie.


	7. The Prince in the Tower

**Disclaimer: **And so, this is the seventh disclaimer.

**A/N:** There will be random pairings here: SebastianxCharlotte, for example. If you don't like the pairing, well, it's fine. I like them together that I even made another crossover fanfic wherein they are a married vampire couple. I haven't posted it yet, though it's already finished.

* * *

**Chapter VII:** The Prince in the Tower

Oz couldn't remember how he managed to end up in a place like that. The eerie-looking mansion was surrounded by tall trees, fallen captive in an unfamiliar forest. All he remembered was he went out in the cold and started walking towards that who-knows-where place, not minding the cold and the thick pile of snow beneath his shoes. He couldn't even understand why he entered the manor in the first place; he just unconsciously did. Now he was sitting face to face with the man who found him.

"Why won't you try the food? It's not poisoned," he heard the man said across the table. "I asked the cook to make it for you since you looked so weary and ready to faint a while ago."

"Uhm, I appreciate it, sir," Oz answered. Right, he was hungry and the food looked very tempting, but now's not the time to be thinking about it. He needed some answers. "Don't mind me asking, but where is this place?"

"This is the place where you'll find leaving impossible." He glanced at the lad's right arm. A smirk escaped from his thin lips as he eyed another watchful stare the familiar silver bangle on his wrist. Something about the man's words and stares left unfathomable shivers down Oz's spine. He just sighed in ease after hearing him laugh. "I mean, my mansion is far from London or any other places near it." Of course, the man should be lying. There was no way he had ended up walking for only mere hours if that place he bumped into is far from London. "Now, I think you should be eating. Of course, you need a place to sleep after that tiring walk, so I'll give you a room. I'll be sure to escort you back to your home once you had rested." Oz felt much at ease at that moment. He ate a lot from the food and after taking a little rest, the man led him to a hallway leading to another somewhat endless corridor.

"Your mansion is quite magnificent… and intricate," Oz mentioned while they were walking side by side inside the hall.

"That's a compliment." The man smiled. "Ah, you haven't told me your name yet."

"Oh! My name is Oz, sir. Could I know yours as well?"

"Just call me Aleister." He made to halt after mentioning his name; in front of them stood a big bronze door. "This one leads to a tower. There's a room upstairs. I hope you'll find this to your liking."

"Why the tower, Sir Aleister?" Oz asked both out from curiosity and doubt.

"It's a pretty big room, and I just thought of showing you my little prince upstairs. He must be lonely by now," Aleister said with a fake sadness on his face.

"You have a son?"

"Son? Oh, no!" The Viscount laughed. "He's just a little friend of mine." He opened the door and led him upstairs. Oz bloomed with more curiosity. He was wondering who that little prince Lord Aleister was talking about. There was a certain sentiment that crept inside of him—a feeling of familiarity and fear. He wanted to see him right away. He was dying to know every bit of his existence.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sebastian searched every place he could. He still couldn't pick up any signals from the air. That blasted barrier was driving him nuts. He made a halt and banged his fist on a nearby concrete wall; he cursed and cursed until droplets of red blood flowed from his hands. The only thing he hasn't lost yet was his sane mind, which he would soon give away if he hadn't found his young master. The Demon in him was starting to let out loose due to his almost uncontrollable rage. "Ciel! Where are you?" He released another outbreak. He couldn't believe he ended up being useless to do anything.

A distant cry reached Sebastian's ears. He turned around only to see Charlotte running towards him. Her heavy pants could be seen by the huge amount of air she was releasing as she breathes. She had been with Sebastian ever since the beginning of their demon life. She was also an immortal; the male demon had found out about it when they first have their meeting somewhere unimaginably unexpected. Ever since that day, the two of them had been together.

"Sebastian! Will you stop it?" she yelled as she managed to approach him. "This is why I told you not to put your rage above your head! Look at your hands! It's bleeding!"After realizing the constant worry she has with her, she ended up following the man. "Stop using your powers too much. You'll drain all your energy!"

"Then let it be!" Sebastian shouted back. "I don't care if I die as long as I see Ciel safe!"

Charlotte stopped from dismay. She just tried to calm herself in order not to provoke the man's anxiety. "Look, Sebastian. We are all worried about him, but we can't just risk doing something that we know won't lead us to something good. Before you know it you're already killing yourself and you're not even halfway into finding him. Don't just put the burden all to yourself." Even how much she tried to conceal her emotions, she just couldn't seem to do it. Tears were already springing out from her eyes. Anger and anxiety overwhelmed her whole body. For a dignified demon girl such as her, this is very unbecoming.

Sebastian lowered his temper and sighed. No matter what he does, he just couldn't help himself in front of Charlotte. He pulled the lady closer to him and hummed an apology to her ear. "Forgive me, Lotti. I lost myself out there. Dry your tears and I will try to remain calm."

Charlotte gladly did so and faced the tall man in front of her. His pale white complexion and strong build personality was enough to make the lady melt. She couldn't help falling in love with those mesmerizing ruby eyes of his. In fact, everything about Sebastian makes her feel that way. She couldn't bear to see the man into fits of tantrums and sorrow. "I'm sorry. I know how much you care for Ciel… but please think of yourself once in a while."

Sebastian tried his best to smile. He gave the lady a peck on the cheek. "Would you like to come with me search for him?"

"Glad to," was her answer. They both ran on their heels around the corner, hoping to find something.

* * *

At the same time, at the same place, Gilbert and Alice were on a search for their friend as well. It was just an hour ago when they found out that Oz was missing. It's not the normal incident where he would just randomly go missing for half an hour for an adventure on his own. He never goes out without informing a single person and he never goes out as well in the cold not wearing his scarf and wool coat.

It was Gilbert who first noticed it so he had informed Break and Sharon about it; the two promised him they would do their best to help. He decided to go look for him alone, but then Alice caught him going out. It turned out that she, as well, felt Oz's absence so he forced the raven-haired guy to let her come.

"Oz! Where are you? Can you hear us!" Gilbert called. Alice followed by yelling, "Oz! Come out or I won't give you any meat!" The two of them ran around the corner until they happened to bump into Sebastian and Charlotte. "I-I'm sorry!" Gilbert apologized.

"No, it was us who weren't looking." Sebastian bowed slightly.

"Seaweed head! What are you waiting for? Come on!" Alice called through her high-pitched voice. Gilbert bowed as well and then ran after the girl.

The two were left standing on the pavement. Sebastian felt stiffed. There was something on that girl who was with the lad.

"Sebastian," Charlotte called for his attention. She had felt it too.

"Yes." Sebastian nodded. "That girl is a Chain."

* * *

Oz had his eyes focused on the silver door in front of them. When the Viscount opened it, a startling image made his eyes glowed. The room was filled with fancy decorations—to foods and toy decors. He was pretty amazed by it, though a little disappointed to found not even a single soul inside.

"Oh, I wonder where he is hiding?" he heard Aleister said. "Sorry, he is such a shy kid." He walked across the bed, then straight to the little closet beside it. He found him inside, curled into a ball. Ciel instantly backed away upon seeing the Viscount. Right at that moment, his impulses were shouting at him to stay away from the man. "What's wrong? Did something scare you?" the latter asked innocently. Ciel was now trembling from fear; tears were already springing out from his round blue eyes, although he didn't yelp when Aleister pulled him out from the closet. When Ciel landed a glimpse at Oz, without hesitation, he pushed the man holding him and ran towards the blonde boy.

Oz's eyes widened when Ciel hugged him. The blue-haired boy surely wasn't intending to let go of him.

"Oh, my! I wonder what had gotten into him. It looks like he grew a liking to you already." Aleister strode his way back to the door, attempting to go out. "Oh, well. I'll leave you two here to get along. Just eat if you get hungry." He left with a broad smirk on his face. _"Innocent children really make my day."_

Ciel immediately released himself from Oz when the Viscount was already nowhere in sight. Oz looked at him, quite puzzled. "I-I'm sorry, sir, f-for clinging to you like that."

"I-It's alright, I guess?" Oz answered. He smiled at Ciel, who in return, blushed from embarrassment. "Is there something wrong?" Oz asked after realizing that the boy was trembling and the corners of his eyes were still filled with unshed tears.

"I… want to go home," was his soft reply.

Oz gave him a more perplexed look. "You mean you don't live here?" Ciel shook his head. "I-I don't understand. Then, what are you doing here? Did you get lost too, like me?"

"I-I don't know. I don't remember anything. T-The Viscount said he found me outside… but I'm sure I was with my sister. We went to bed together," The little boy wasn't able to control his emotions and burst into tears. "I-I w-want to go h-home to my mommy and daddy. P-Please take me home, m-mister."

Oz felt a sudden surge of fear. If what Ciel said was true, then something must be really off with the situation. They both don't remember what happened, plus they both ended up in the same place. He hoped that the Kidnapping hadn't got to do with this, though he feared that was impossible given the situation they were in. "Don't cry," he said, soothing the child by his tight embrace. He didn't want to scare him so he said nothing about his assumed problem. "Don't worry… I'll think of a way to bring you back to your parents. But for now, rest assure. Is that alright?"

Ciel wiped the tears away and looked up at Oz with a nod. "Thank you, mister."

"You can just call me Oz. How about you tell me your name too?" After Ciel told him his name, Oz let out a surprise, "Ah!" He thought for a moment, making sure that he wasn't mistaken. "Now I remember. So that's why you look so familiar. You're Earl Phantomhive's son… the one who just celebrated his birthday. I was at your party, but I'm afraid we weren't able to meet. My uncle just dragged me with him, since he and the earl are good friends."

"R-Really? I never saw you. Thank you for attending."

Oz smiled, but then it abruptly changed into a worried façade after noticing Ciel's colorless and worn out complexion. "You look tired. Do you want to rest?" Fear instantly grew on the little boy's face. He never wanted to sleep; afraid that something might happen again. Oz noticed it too so he put on his best soothing words in order to put the lad at ease. "I'm here, so there's nothing to be afraid of. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll look after you while you sleep." He led him on the bed and gently tucked him under the covers. He sat by the bedside and remained on guard. Ciel just asked him a favor to lie beside him so he did. The younger boy had his hands on him, never intending to let go. Oz was quite surprised that he managed to instantly gain the trust of a boy he just met. The reason alone gave him the guts to hug him for the second time. Just looking at the peaceful face of Ciel made Oz a little comfortable despite the dilemma they were facing at that moment. Somehow, he felt that there's something special with the lad, which his body and mind are eager to cherish.

The comfort of the warm bed under his skin weren't able to escape Oz's senses. He couldn't deny that he was tired as well. In a matter of minutes, he fell into another slumber. When he woke up, Ciel was no longer at his side, instead found his way on the arms of the blonde-haired man he didn't wish to see again.

"Looks like the young King had just wake up. Good evening. Are you looking for your little Prince?" The Viscount was sitting on a high chair with the sleeping Ciel on his lap.

"Y-You… trickster…" Oz cursed himself for being such an idiot for letting his guard down like that.

A malevolence smirk instantly fell on the Viscount face.

"The Prince had just let down his cute little innocence for me. Would the King care to climb up here and retrieve it? Let us start this little nice game, shall we?"

* * *

**A/N: **If you can notice, it's a slight parody of "The Princess in the Tower" or well known as "Rapunzel". Ciel is Princess Rapunzel, Oz is the Prince—though I made him a King there since I made Ciel a Prince instead of a Princess, and the Viscount is the evil Witch. I know it doesn't look like Rapunzel at all. Oz didn't climb up the window using Ciel's hair. That would be brutal, considering that Ciel is a boy and obviously has a short hair. Lame or not, I don't really care. Oh, and by the way, Oz didn't sleepwalk either. The same happened to him. They had him fetched by a waiting carriage. Of course, walking on foot would be a hassle, considering that the Viscount's mansion is located outside London.

It's still not good. Sorry again for making Ciel such a crybaby. I like it when Oz hugs him. :D

It's fine even if no one leaves a review, as long as you read it.


	8. Hansel and the Poisonous Apple

**Disclaimer: ***Me dreaming that I own at least Ciel*

**A/N: **I hope I won't be accused of Child Abuse. I'm not sure if this still rated T or already an M.  
Anyway, for those who followed and made my story their favorite, thank you so much! T_T You made me so happy.

* * *

**Chapter VIII:** Hansel and the Poisonous Apple

"So, you're the one who's really behind all this?" Oz had his feet on the floor now, his eyes glowing with unreadable emotion. "That's so childish, Viscount… playing with innocent boys… Couldn't you think of a better excitement than your games?"

Aleister had to laugh for that. "As expected of the lad who already saw the most hideous prison of all…"

_"How did he know about that?" _Oz thought. He really has a bad feeling about this. But as for now, he has to play along.

"You like adventures that much?"

"I won't deny it. But if I'd be going on an adventure with the likes of you, I would probably rather die than do it."

"What a rude lad." Aleister laughed. "Would you like to know a secret?" Oz gave him a somewhat confused gaze, with a hint of a glare. "This kid's lips are the best. I had a really great time yesterday night. Ciel acted so cute that I couldn't control myself. Too bad, he couldn't remember our little game."

Oz's eyes dilated from shock and anger. "Y-You bastard! How could you— for god's sake, he's a child!"

"He's a child, that's why… and as you said earlier, I like playing with innocent little children." Oz couldn't swallow what he had just heard—in this case means "something very unfathomable". _How dare that man touched Ciel like that?_ "Do you still want to make this thrilling? Why don't you try it to yourself, so you won't disagree?"

Oz didn't wait for anything any longer. He rushed to give the man a piece of his anger, but entirely lost to himself when he just suddenly fell on the cold floor. "W-What?" He tried to move but he couldn't; half of his body was so numb. He just happened to fell into a state of paralysis. _"W-What's happening? I can't move."_

"Oh, too bad, isn't it? It looks like it's taking effect." Aleister scoffed. "You were so hungry, you didn't even taste it. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the careless lad who ate it all?"

Oz cursed. _Damn that Viscount! _The trick was so simple yet he didn't see it coming—a_ poisoned apple, _like in the fairy stupid could he be? If he knew, he won't even lay a single bite to those foods.

"I didn't lie though. It wasn't poisoned; although injected with a medicine that will make a one's body numb for a useful period of time. Pretty, right?" Aleister took a small glass filled with the melted chocolate and raised it closer to Ciel's lips. "Now, let's add more color to this." He forced a spoonful of it into his mouth, resulting to the last time's effect.

"W-What are you planning to do?"

Ciel gradually opened his eyes. He looked around and saw the Viscount, but remained on his post like a doll being cradled by its owner. Aleister scooped the boy's chin and planted a kiss on his lips, tongue gliding through his entire mouth nonstop. Ciel didn't even twitch, but his whole body was obviously trembling. Oz watched in horror. Seeing Ciel being molested like that makes him want to throw up and kill the person responsible for it.

* * *

'Mister Gilbert, can you hear me?' A familiar voice echoed out from nowhere. Gilbert and Alice looked around only to see nothing but walls of houses around them.

"Sharon?"

'Yes, it's me. I put my Chain, Eques, into your shadow in order to see what you guys have accomplished. But there has been a little problem.'

"What?"

'I cannot seem to visualize your surroundings. I can only do telepathy by now,' Sharon explained. 'Also, I cannot track Master Oz's whereabouts. Break said something about a special barrier which obstructs other powers to monopolize the surrounding area where it had been put.'

"What? Who would do that? Is it a Chain-user as well?"

'I do not know, but probably that is the case. How about Miss Alice? Can she detect any smell?' Gilbert turned around and asked Alice about anything.

"It's not a Chain. If it is it, my nose should be able to sense it," answered the girl, irritatingly. "This is annoying! Whoever took Oz will surely die! How dare they take my manservant?"

"Don't be overly aggressive, stupid Rabbit," Gilbert warned and then asked Sharon once more. "Do you think the kidnapping had got to do with this?"

'That's a big probability, Gilbert. But still, even if it's a mere scheme, we cannot let our guard down.' Gilbert had to agree. After all, Oz was very prone to accidents and unexpected troubles. 'Please continue with your search. I'll send you back immediately if anything happens.'

* * *

"That girl is the B-Rabbit, no doubt," Sebastian told his companion as they soar the sky to find leads. "It seems like her contractor is not with her."

"They said that they were looking for someone as well. It was seen on their faces that it was not a mere disappearance like the young master's case," Charlotte said in return.

"Indeed." Sebastian put on a troubled look. "I hope to find the little master before dinner. I wouldn't like to let my master worry any further."

* * *

Ciel stirred. The Viscount has his hands inside his dress now, stroking the upper portion of his chest. The drug that the boy had taken in was already losing its effect. It's only a matter of second before it's totally gone. "I see you're totally awake. Let us hear your sweet voice now." The viscount pinched the boy's side, making the latter whimper from the sudden pressure.

"W-What are you doing?" Ciel asked, trembling from the horror he was seeing. "P-Please take your hands off me…"

"Ciel!" Oz called from his post. He was a little glad now that Ciel was awake.

"O-Oz?" Ciel looked down, anxiety instantly fell on his young face. He was about to say something when the Viscount forced him to look at him. "S-Sir, please, let me go."

"Oh, I'm afraid that's a no-no, baby. Play with me just a little bit more and I'll release you and your friend."

"Ciel, no! Don't listen to that bastard!" Oz warned.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt. Just be a good boy and listen to me and I promise not to hurt the both of you," Aleister cooed on his ear. Ciel looked at Oz then back to the Viscount, tears falling down from his eyes.

"K-Keep… your promise…"

Aleister's grin widened. Oz yelled once more. There's no way that man would promise such a thing. He was playing with them for sure. "Look closely, Oz." He let Ciel face Oz this time, while he ran a hand inside of his dress once more and licked the boy's visible neck. Ciel flushed red from the touch. "Do you like what you're seeing? Or perhaps you're jealous and you want to join us?"

"Shut up! You sick retard! Stop that!" Oz yelled from too much anger. "Can't you see he doesn't like what you're doing?"

"Oh? Don't you like it, my cute little angel?" He said to Ciel this time. "Lord Aleister will make you feel really good, so please scream for him nicely and loudly." After the words came next the harsh bit he gave on Ciel's nape, which made the boy moaned in tears. He shoved his fingers inside Ciel's mouth, repeatedly teasing his tongue with it while laughing like someone who had just lost his wits.

"Mmm… ngh!" Ciel used all his might to pull the viscount's hand off from his mouth, which he successfully did after seconds of trying. "L-Liar!" he cried in tears. "Y-You're a liar! P-Put me down!" He thrust a hand forward, resulting on hitting the man on the face. When he managed to get down, he kicked the Viscount on his knee real hard, making him writhe from pain.

"W-Why you little brat!"

"Ciel!" Oz called. Ciel stirred from his post and ran towards Oz.

"I'll make you both pay for this. Just you wait." Aleister gritted his teeth from anger and stormed outside the room.

Ciel let a lot of his tears fall this time. "M-Mommy… Da-d-ddy!"

Oz felt guilt rushing through his entire body. If it wasn't for his stupidity, that thing won't happen. He reached for the boy's face, though remained lying on the ground. The lower part of his body was still numb, so he could only move the upper part, mostly his arms and head at the least. "I-I'm so sorry… I promised you I'll protect you, yet I let that thing happened to you."

"O-Oz… l-let's get out from here… I d-don't w-want to stay here anymore." He took Oz's hand and gripped tightly on it. If that nightmare continues, he would surely lose his mind in no time.

* * *

**A/N:** If you remember the previous chapters, the setting design I used in their room is the Old Witch's House in Hansel and Gretel. That is why I used Hansel instead of Snow White on the title to represent Oz. I just felt like borrowing the _Poisoned Apple_ concept. Well, it's true that the Viscount was the one who's behind the kidnapping. Now that they had Ciel (who is obviously the one they had been looking for), he was expected not to kidnap any children anymore. But, he didn't do so due to the fact that Viscount Druitt wanted to get his hands on Oz as well. He was the last though.

The last time I checked on this, I was surprised (and happy) to see a Male who followed my story. If you can read this, I want to apologize, for I won't be assuring you that this won't include any dramas. I am quite sure that I had put a 'Drama/Romance' Genre. So… sorry, though I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. :)


	9. Who Killed the Wicked Witch?

**WARNING: **This chapter is rated **M**—(or so I believe) Continue at your own risk.

**Disclaimer: **Goddamnit. I can only own Ciel and Oz in my dreams!  
**  
A/N: **Because of some feedback from a fellow writer, I've decided to make Ciel's age back to Eleven (or, I think Ten will be better), rather than being Twelve. I'm just too lazy to edit the first chapter, so I apologize for that. She said that Ciel being Twelve doesn't suit scenes like this one, not to mention that I made him a crybaby.

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**Chapter IX:** Who Killed the Wicked Witch?

Viscount Druitt didn't waste any more time and had his visitor fetched already. He welcomed the Baron with his trademark smile, hiding the annoyance on his face.

"You called for me quite early. I thought you'll have me fetched by tomorrow?"

Aleister turned to his back, gesturing the other one to follow him. "Something came up. I just thought of giving the brat a lesson."

"Oh? What did he do?"

"Nothing harsh… He just hit me on my face and kicked me on my knee," he answered, gritting through his teeth. "The little wench is a devil on the inside."

"Now, now, no need to get mad." Baron Kelvin smiled a very animated one. "I'm very much excited to touch him!"

Aleister sighed. The two of them were already at the corridor leading to the tower. Before they proceeded upstairs, the Viscount first took some tools from a small casket beside the bronze door. When they arrived inside, Oz was still lying on the floor with Ciel on his side. The younger boy gasped from surprise and terror upon seeing the two men. Oz, on the other hand, felt more alarmed and horrified than usual, especially after seeing the horrendous things the Viscount was carrying. It consisted of a long metal chain with manacles, a whip, a rope, and two pairs of wooden shackles.

"I-It's him… It's really him!" The Baron screamed from delight after landing his eyes on Ciel. "Oooh… that beautiful, white skin, that untainted cheeks, those lips that only speaks of pretty words, those pair of innocent sapphire eyes, those slender hands and legs… ah! It makes me want to gobble him up already!"

"You may do so, if you please… just don't taint him too much," it was the Viscount this time. Both Ciel and Oz widened their eyes. Baron Kelvin ran on his heels and grabbed the confused blue-haired boy, making him scream from fright.

"Wha—No! Let go of Ciel!" Oz screamed as well. "What are you planning to do with him?" he addressed to Viscount Druitt.

"He will just be merely about to be played," Aleister answered in a playful tone and knelt in front of Oz. "Now, shall we get to business? Let me see about you. You have a punishment waiting." He grabbed the blonde lad on the hair, forcing his immobile body up to lean against him. Oz yelped from the sudden pressure. "Let me get this straight, Oz. You are nothing but a helpless lad. You can't do anything when you're here inside my domain. You can't save your friend there, or yourself, in short." He dragged him beside the wall and put the chain manacles on both of his wrist. He already had it hanging on the ceiling (who knows how or when he managed to); all he had to do was to pull the remaining chains down in other to hoist the lad up.

"A-Ahhhh! S-Shit!" Oz yelped once more. "P-Put me down, you beast!" He began kicking, which only gave the man more idea on what to do with him. Aleister took the wooden shackles, capping the lad's feet. "W-What the hell! You dirty trickster! Unleash me this instant!"

"That's it. You can scream as long as you want. You won't be able to move anyway," Aleister mocked. He scooped the lad's chin using the handle of his whip. "What a pretty glare you have there. It makes you look more attractive. Glare at me more using those emerald orbs of yours… that pair of shining eyes caught me entirely."

Oz shut his eyes, intending not to give what the man wants. He heard him chuckle, and the next one he delivered made Oz's hairs stand on one end. The viscount licked him on his ear and then proceeded down to his neck. Oz's eyes opened from shock. "W-What—stop!" Aleister didn't listen though, and just made the act more horrible by pinching the pleasure spot on Oz's chest, that is, after unbuttoning his coat and undershirt. "Y-You sick pervert! D-Don't touch me!"

"Don't complain too much." Aleister smirked, licking the corners of his mouth. "Just admit that you're enjoying this."

"A-As if! I will only enjoy such act with a cute girl!" Oz's face was slightly turning red from rage and embarrassment.

"Denying at this point when your body is as stiff as a cold metal? You're a one cute lad, aren't you?"

"S-Shut up! I'm only like this because I'm paralyzed!" Oz gritted his teeth. "If I could move, I'd probably kick you by now!"

Aleister smiled and suddenly whipped Oz's body. The latter screamed from agony. "Let's take the stiffness away, shall we?" He did it again, laughing as he stared at Oz's trembling body. He gave Oz around four whips that tiny bloodstains were already visible on his bare skin. He just stopped when he'd felt small hands on his back. Looking down, he saw Ciel crying. The boy had managed to slip from the baron's grasp in a split second.

"P-Please stop! Don't hurt him anymore!" he screamed through his small, whimpering voice. "L-Let Oz go… please… please…"

Aleister smirked and knelt in front of Ciel. "My, you really grow a liking to him, didn't you? Are you scared, Ciel? Will you cry beautifully if I hurt him more?" He pulled the boy closer to him, rubbing a hand on his back and another on his cheek. "Your crying face is so cute that I want to lick you up again." He brushed a tongue around Ciel's chin up to his half-opened mouth. Ciel held the man's shoulder tightly as he felt a surge of shiver on his entire body. He wanted to let loose from his grasp, but the man is just simply stronger than he is. "But I'm afraid that will do for now. I haven't forgotten what you did a while ago. You deserve your punishment, baby. Now, Sweetie Pie, go and play with Uncle Kelvin. Just do what he wants and you won't regret it." He gently shoved the boy back to the baron, who in return cuddled him on his arms. Ciel just cried harder after the man took him. He just couldn't help but feel scared, even just glancing at the man's face, which was entirely wrapped in bandages, leaving only his eyes, nostrils, and lips visible. The Viscount of Druitt proceeded with his crazy antics, whipping Oz more and more. The blonde lad had no choice but to scream. The numbness on his body had unluckily gone now, leaving him writhing from pain.

* * *

"Sebastian and Charlotte aren't here yet," Rachel reported to her husband, who was sitting on a couch with his head dropped down.

Vincent looked up at her when he heard her spoke. "They're still looking for Ciel." Rachel remained silent. She sat beside her husband and wrapped a hand around his arm. "Rachel," Vincent began again. His wife answered him with a hum. "It will kill me if my son doesn't come back alive. But before I ended up dying, I'll make sure first to murder those bastards. I will probably end up in jail. If that's the case, please take care of Zwei."

"V-Vincent, please," Rachel begged. She was in tears at the moment. "Don't ever think of doing that. You're not the only one who'd have their hearts broken if the unimaginable happens."

Vincent stared at her, dumbfounded. He suddenly felt ashamed in the presence of his wife. "I-I'm… sorry, Rachel." He sighed and let his mind wander off. He wanted to slap himself at the moment, thinking of how pathetic he was. He's the head of the family, so the strength of the whole household should come from him. Plus, he had forgotten the major detail of his contract with his two demons. Even if Sebastian told him the circumstance with finding the location, he still has hope that his loyal servant will find his son no matter what the cost is.

"Don't push yourself too hard, dear. I'm trying to remain calm and brave for our daughter so you should do the same." Vincent snapped off from his thoughts after hearing Rachel spoke once again. He smiled at her and pressed a gentle touch on her hand.

"I will, my love. Forgive me. Sebastian and Charlotte will find him. I just hope nothing bad has happened to my poor baby."

* * *

Baron Kelvin held Ciel closer to his body, sniffing his hair while uttering disgusting words on his ear. Ciel couldn't stop his body from shaking as the man glided one hand down on his thighs and another on the back of his nape. "Such nice body structure… What a perfect being! Would you mind if I…" Ciel was now lying flat on his back; the Baron had pulled his right leg upward, revealing his bare thigh.

"N-No… No… Please..." Ciel whimpered. The man happily ignored his pleas and glided his wet tongue on it, almost trailing it down to his inner thigh. "O-Oz! Oz! S-Stop him! P-Please… Please stop!"

Oz eyes fluttered open when he heard Ciel calling. His rage grew intense upon seeing the horrible scene. "S-Son of a bitch! Stop! Get your dirty hands off him!"

"Pesky brat," Aleister whispered. "Hey, don't you think you should be focusing on me? Do the wounds I inflicted on you weren't enough?" He whipped Oz once more. The latter bit his lips real hard that a trail of blood ooze from it.

"D-Damn you, A-Aleister. I will… kill you… along with that filthy old man."

"Oh? Tell me, how can you possibly kill me while in chains?" Aleister asked, laughing harder this time. "I bet you can't even move."

"Shut up," Oz said with his icy tone piercing through everybody's ears.

"You're so mad, I'm scared. How about making you feel better? Do you want a kiss, your majesty?" Oz spit at him instead of answering. Aleister wiped the saliva off his face and faked a pout. "Now, you've done it. Baron Kelvin," he called. The man stopped at what he's doing and faced the Viscount. "Could you let Ciely give you a little special treatment? I think the Prince really needs to taste a candy right now. How's that sound?" Baron's eyes widened from excitement. Apparently, he got what he meant. He pulled Ciel on a sitting position while he sat on a chair in return. He unzipped his pants, revealing the most unsightly image Ciel and Oz couldn't swallow to take. "I'll give you time to look, Oz, while Ciel's virgin mouth suck on that thing."

"No!" Oz screamed. "No! No! Don't you dare!" he screamed and screamed until he couldn't hear the voices on his surroundings.

Ciel cried desperately on the other hand. Baron put a hand over the boy's head and pushed it down to meet his organ. Ciel tilted his head sideward, trying his best not to open his mouth at all cost. He didn't understand what was happening or what the man was intending to do; all he knew was his impulses were telling him not to succumb to anything. "Come on. Don't be stubborn and put it inside your mouth." He heard the man said. He shook his head violently. He could feel that he could faint at any moment now. "Child, do it!"

"Stop it! Stop it, right now! I dare you to stop!" Oz yelled once more. His wounds hurt so much, his lungs were so heavy, his mouth was so sore, plus his leaking tears was making his eyes hurt as well. He shut his weary, teary eyes and cursed himself in his thoughts. "_Damn it! I'm so useless! I-I can't do anything… I can't… even lay a hand on this bastard. Ciel… Ciel, I'm sorry. I can't save you like I promised."_

_You can._

Oz's world stopped for a while. There was the voice in his mind and the ringing in his ears again, but he didn't feel like fainting this time.

_You can save him. _

_ "How? Damn it!"_

_Kill him._

Oz felt a heart-throbbing sensation on his chest. _"Kill him… I-I can't kill him."_

_You can. You have that power. Use B-Rabbit._

_ "B-Rabbit? No… I can't. Alice is not here. She won't permit it. I can't use B-Rabbit's powers."_

_Remember that you have the right. _

When Oz opened his eyes, the Viscount had left him and was now sitting behind Ciel; the latter was on his lap and had been forced to perform the horrendous act to the Baron. Ciel wanted to throw up so badly, but he couldn't even move from his post; plus the Viscount was so busy nipping at his neck, making him felt immobile and cold.

"Aaahh...ah…this is so good. He doesn't know how to do it properly, but his mouth felt so warm and good, I think I'm going to cum!" The Baron squealed. He felt his body shivering from delight.

"You can't do that in his mouth, Baron. That's gross." Aleister scoffed. "Now, darling, you can back out and let him do his stuff. You don't want to taste his load, right?" He pulled Ciel away, sending him leaning on his chest. The boy covered his face with his hands as he cried louder. It was very gruesome that he wanted to die so badly to forget it. Aleister cooed on his ear by licking it, his hands firmly locked on Ciel's chest under the dress.

Oz watched, his eyes blazing like fire. It was the first time he felt like that. When he saw that the Baron was about to force Ciel into it again, he screamed as loud as he can, sending loud, large waves of vibration into the air. The chains on his hands and the shackles on his feet broke into tiny pieces. Both men stared at Oz in surprise and horror. The lad's eyes were now a shade of red and there appeared a huge scythe on his hands; behind him was the image of the huge Blood-stained Black Rabbit.

"M-Monster!" Baron Kelvin yelled, shaking from his seat. Viscount Druitt was speechless and obviously shaking from fright as well. Oz raised his scythe. "W-Wait—" before the Baron voiced out his words, Oz had sliced him twice on his stomach, sending his disheveled form on the cold floor. Aleister only managed to stare, his purple eyes emitting warm tears. He scampered on his knees, begging for mercy.

Oz eyed him with disgust and hatred. "Filthy, vulgar, perverted, useless, sick, disgusting… You don't deserve to live. Rot in hell, Viscount of Druitt." He raised his scythe once more, causing blood and internal organs splattered all over the place.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Alright, I know this chapter is too morbid and just gross (for my standards). I'm just too horrible. It's my first time writing something this intense and I couldn't help but feel sorry for the two boys. I haven't include words such as _'cum', whatever it is called, _until now. I can't even mention 'bl**job' and 's*m*n', even the men's sacred part (which I just did) in the story! This is too messy. It's even my first time harassing Oz like that! Ciel had been always the target of my mischief. I am not into BDSM, I swear (though if it's Ciel… well, I wouldn't mind.) Damn my bitchy mind!

Oh, and one more clarification: in this fanfic, Vincent was the one who formed a contract with Sebastian and not Ciel. Plus he also formed another contract with Charlotte, but these contracts don't involve the taking of souls in the end. The thing Sebastian asked for in return is a place to live in and a family to serve, while Vincent asked for a loyal servant who will serve him and his whole family even at the cost of his own life (not like Sebastian would die anyway). He's just the type of demon who found eating souls boring and likes taking overtimes. In Charlotte's case, she was the one who begged Vincent to let her stay so that she could be with Sebastian. The two of them ended up forming a contract as well, since it is not permitted for Demons to be with humans unless they formed a contract.

**Note from my sister:** People as sick as the Viscount would probably have those things (BDSM tools ) readied on their "sick rooms" already, considering that he's also Pedophile, there's a high chance that he'd resort to bondage plays too* Ai-note :3


	10. Follow the Black Rabbit

**Disclaimer: **Yana-sama and Jun-sama, can I kidnap you?

**A/N:** Back to rating T! Let the impossible begin!

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**Chapter X:** Follow the Black Rabbit

Alice stumbled on her feet after a strong force made her lost her balance. She was now on the floor, being helped by Gilbert.

"H-Hey, Stupid Rabbit! W-What's with you? Are you alright?"

"M-My power," she murmured, "is being released."

"What? But you haven't used it. How's that possible?"

"I-It's Oz. He used B-Rabbit's power without my consent."

Gilbert's eyes widened. To use the power of a Chain without the real owner is something too risky for the contractor to do; plus there's no way a mere contractor can use it without the approval of the Chain itself. If a human forced himself to use that much power, his body wouldn't be able to withstand it and it would instantly kill the person. Gilbert felt his heart raising. For Oz to do that—whatever the reason, it was probably not good.

"Let's go, Alice! We don't have much time to lose! Oz is in a big trouble!"

* * *

Oz's scythe disappeared from his hand, but his eyes still remained the same shade of red. He ran a palm on his wounds and brought it near to his mouth to lick the trail of blood on it; then he began fixing his shirt by buttoning it again.

Ciel was on the floor, trembling at the sight before him, tears streaming down from his face. He was too horrified both at the disheveled bodies and to what Oz had become. Oz noticed him, so he knelt down in front of him, reached for his face, and said, "Don't cry. Whatever made you cry, whoever hurt you, I will destroy them for you. I will kill for your sake."

Ciel slowly raised his hand. He was afraid, but he wanted to hug the lad so badly that he couldn't help it. Oz gently pulled him close for an embrace. When Ciel said that he was alright and asked Oz to come back, the latter returned to normal, turning his eyes back to being green. After mere seconds, he stood up, pulling Ciel with him and running towards the door. They thought their troubles were already fixed, but when they stepped out from the room, an alarm went off and it sent loud buzzing noises around the whole mansion. Oz panicked and dragged Ciel down. The two of them ran and ran until they reached the front door. There was already an exchange of yells from afar—probably Viscount's hired some men to go after the escapees in case such a thing would happen.

Oz pushed the huge door open, allowing the cold breeze to enter. It was the middle of the night and thick pile of snows were on their way. He hesitated for a bit, but it was now or never; so he dashed outside, dragging Ciel with him towards the forest. They didn't mind the coldness or the snow beneath their feet; all they cared about was to get out of the freaking place before the weather killed them both. They were still on their heels when they heard the voices getting distant. Five to six men where after them, bringing with them torches and ropes. Oz turned left and accidentally pulled Ciel a little harsher, causing the poor boy to land on his face.

"C-Ciel! I-I'm sorry!" He helped the boy on his feet. Ciel almost cried from the impact, but refrained from doing so, knowing that crying wouldn't help them both at the situation. He and Oz was about to run again, but after seeing that the group of men chasing them were already close, they'd just decided not to. If ever they continue escaping, they will surely catch them. So Oz looked for the nearest big tree he could find where they can hide. "Shh… don't make a noise and stay close to me," he whispered in Ciel's ears. The latter nodded and pulled himself closer to Oz, in which the blonde lad had returned a gesture of a tight, comforting hug. Making sure that the coast was clear, they sprang to their feet once more and ran to the direction far from their abductors.

_"Where will we go now? Where the heck is this place, anyway? We're just running around in circles!" _Oz shouted in his mind, frustratingly. The two of them managed to ran a good distance away from the mansion now. Oz leaned against a tree, huffing. He could no longer feel his own body from the coldness, plus his wounds were aching so badly. _"I'm tired. I'm so sleepy. It's so cold…" _He landed on his knee this time.

Ciel's face was instantly filled with fright and concern. "O-Oz? A-Are… you… alright?" he asked, trying to act normal though it was apparent that he was more tired than Oz.

Oz tilted his head to face him. "I'm fine," he answered and then dropped his head back down; his hands were curling into a tight fist. "Damn it," was his next word, which startled Ciel. "Goddamnit! Why does this have to happen?"

Ciel stared, tears finally escaping.

"I'm so angry! So mad that I'm going crazy! Damn those men! They should rot in hell!"

"O-Oz, stop… They… are gone, remember? S-So, please, don't get mad."

"You don't understand, Ciel! Even if they're gone, that won't change the fact that they did those things!" Oz screamed. Right, he doesn't understand it as well. He just met Ciel on a whim. They only spent time together for a whole day, yet he couldn't deny the fact that he was so overprotective to the boy; it was as if he had known him for a very long time. He was so angry; his heart's going to burst. "You… don't understand. I hate it… what they did to you. It's so unforgivable."

"I-I'm sorry," was Ciel's answer. Those words made Oz's rampant feelings to falter.

"N-No, don't be. I'm sorry." He hugged Ciel so tight before they proceeded on walking away.

For about two hours, the two of them strode into nowhere. The unlighted trail of the dark forest made their escape like hell. They continued walking, their feet and hands almost numb. Oz's mind was completely blank. If it wasn't for hearing a loud noise of someone falling, he wouldn't stop on his track. He almost jumped from realizing that he was walking alone for a second. When he looked at his back, he saw Ciel lying on the thick pile of snow for the second time.

"C-Ciel! What's wrong?" he almost screamed as he knelt to pull the little boy up. Ciel wasn't saying anything, just huffing violently for air. Oz deduced that Ciel had caught an untimely fever, plus he was currently suffering from an asthma attack. The older lad panicked and grabbed the boy closer to him. "O-Oh god! Hang in there!" He forced his eyes shut while cuddling him protectively. _"What am I going to do? I need to bring him to the hospital, but I don't know where the heck we are! S-Shit! Think, Oz. Calm down. Don't panic. You'll be able to think of something. Think, come on!" _ He glanced down at Ciel once more. The poor boy was almost giving in; his mouth gasping for more air at every passing second. There was only one option left. As much as he didn't want to do it, he had no choice but to have to. He gently laid Ciel down on the cold snow. He lifted his chin a little and gave him some air through his mouth. He repeated it over and over again, until Ciel finally regained a little of his normal breathing rate. He picked him up again and immediately wrapped his arms around the boy to give him enough warmth. "Ciel? Are you alright? We can't stay here anymore. Can you still walk?"

"N…No… I-I can't… so tired… cold," Ciel mumbled, losing his grip on the older lad. His eyes were already ready to close. "…I… want… sleep. Now."

"C-Ciel, no! Y-You can't sleep. Don't close your eyes. C-Come on, do it for me, please?" Oz pressed a hand on Ciel's cheek as he looked at him with his almost teary-eyes. The child was trembling so much from the cold; plus what he was wearing—a straight, knee-length, black dress with plenty of bows and laces, pumpkin shorts, and a pair of white boots—also added up to the burden _"We can't sleep in this cold. We'll surely freeze to death." _

"Please, don't close your eyes. If you do, you won't be able to wake up. I'll go make a fire, so just bear with it for a while please." Oz gently laid Ciel beside a tree, while he scampered to look for some twigs in the dark. When he found some, he started rubbing them together as quick as he could. "J-Just a little bit more, Ciel. Hang in there," he called. The little boy seemed lost in his thoughts already, though he still managed to keep his eyes open. After an hour of trial and error, Oz managed to create a small fire enough to keep them warm. He pulled Ciel closer to him once more and wrapped almost his whole body around him just to lower the temperature. Ciel's fever didn't seem to be getting better. He almost looked like a living corpse. At the same time, Oz too, was feeling much worse than before. His wounds were giving him a hard time. He was so tired and damn sleepy, but he couldn't get to close his eyes for even a second, afraid that he, too, will suffer an untimely death. Plus, he had to look after Ciel if he wants him to last till morning. All he could do at that moment was to pray for their survival, calling for all the gods he knew.

It would surely be a long, cold, tiring night.

* * *

**A/N:** In this story, Gilbert doesn't own Raven, although he can still seal B-Rabbit's power. Unfortunately, the same goes for Break. I just thought that it would be impossible for him not to detect Oz's whereabouts if he does have Mad Hatter. Sebastian already gave me a hard time, since I couldn't break him apart from his Demon self, so it's best not to add more burdens. I'm fine with Oz and Sharon having their Chains. Oh, also, Pandora doesn't exist. I'm still deciding whether to include the Shinigamis or not. And one more thing, I didn't include characters from Kuroshitsuji Season II. There's no Alois and Claude, since I'm basing my story from the Manga. The same goes for Pandora Hearts' details. I'm more of a Manga-fanatic than the Anime.

About the 'Forest scene', especially the one with Ciel contracting a fever, I know it looks so unreal. I just couldn't help but write something about Ciel falling ill in the middle of a cold winter night with only Oz by his side. You know my fantasies are a little quirky (Are there even normal fantasies?). It's so fucking hard to stay outside the cold with a freaking fever. One will surely die if one stays overnight outside! I don't know how the two managed to stay alive. Pure luck? (Hell, I'm the author. Whatever is fine.)

I really hope to get some reviews. Even one telling me how the hell am I not receiving enough. I know my grammar is crappy. Is it the story itself? Am I not making this good for your standards? Or perhaps its Ciel's (or any other characters) personality? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHY!

The reason why I posted it was because I wanted to know how others would think of it. I guess a tough luck is indeed tough.


	11. Went Down the Hill

**Disclaimer: **This is a FanFiction!

**A/N: **The internet connection at home is gone for good. T_T Can't visit FF everyday anymore. Darn. Well, here's the eleventh chapter. My OCs will be introduced. :D

Sorry, if there's a lot of Grammar mistakes.

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**Chapter XI:** Went Down the Hill

"Brother, it's time to wake up," a sweet voice of a girl echoed inside the small chamber where a 15 year-old, black-haired boy was having his rest. It was six sharp in the morning when his younger twin sister decided to wake him up.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled. He pulled his blanket up to his head and faced the other side of the bed.

His twin sighed in disbelief and pulled the blanket off him, causing him to curl into a ball when the morning breeze got in contact with his skin. "Get up," she called, raising her voice a little. "We're out of firewood. We need to get some if you don't want to spend the whole winter in a freezing house."

The lad groaned. "Alright, alright… I'm up." He went out of bed, got himself ready in his thick winter coat and scarf, and darted off towards the forest with his sister.

* * *

Sebastian was up so early as usual that morning. He was spending a moment of silence in the backyard, cuddling a black cat on his lap. His master hadn't given him any orders yet since he and Charlotte went back last night. The only thing Vincent ordered was for him to take a one day break. He never wanted a rest, especially at that kind of situation wherein the whole family was on a lot of tension. But he couldn't refuse, for it was an order. He still couldn't forgive himself for returning without any single lead.

_Oh, how he hated yesterday's event. He and Charlotte immediately reported at their master about the problem's current detail the moment they got home. It was midnight when they got back. Vincent welcomed them in his study with a warm smile, though his face was apparently pale, his eyes were quite red and there were black marks underneath it—too obvious that he had been crying. Sebastian felt a gush of worry and guilt running inside his whole body. He bowed down on his knees, the lowest he had ever done with his head almost hitting the floor, trying to give his deepest apology to the Earl._

_ "Master, I had been very incompetent. I failed and disgraced you, My Lord. I deserve a harsh punishment in return," he said, not looking or raising his head to meet his master's gaze. After seeing what Sebastian did, Charlotte almost stammered and hurriedly did the same, apologizing for not being of use as well._

_ Vincent knelt down in front of the two and placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Please, raise your heads, you two. There's nothing to apologize about. You did well." _

_ "B-But, My Lord… This shameless act is intolerable. I went against the contract, therefore you're ought to punish me." _

_ "I'm the master, Sebastian. I can do whatever I want and you're ought to obey them. Now, stand up, both of you." Sebastian and Charlotte obeyed their master and stood up on their feet. "Go and take a rest. I'll do the searching for tomorrow."_

_ "No, I'm afraid I cannot do that," Sebastian answered. Charlotte tugged the hem of his sleeve to remind him that they should just go without complaints. _

_ "Didn't you hear me, Sebastian? I said, go and take a break. You need to rest for the whole twenty-four hours tomorrow." Vincent gave him a serious look. "That's an order." _

And so here he was, resting his mind temporarily, though he still couldn't fully retract himself from thinking about his little master. He couldn't sleep either, since demons do not need to sleep; well, they do as a form of different leisure, unlike what humans do to regain energy for the next set of duties they would have.

Sebastian leaned his back against the door, still holding the cat, and pulled his eyes close to a sleep.

* * *

Oz slowly stirred from his sleep when he felt incomparable warmth on his chest. He pressed whatever was on top of him closer, savoring the heat to his own. He just opened his eyes when he heard a faint moan. He looked down and saw Ciel, now being strangled by his arms. He pulled back, almost jumping from surprise and joy. _"We're alive?" _he thought, hardly processing the whole detail. Seconds later, he finally swallowed it. _"Oh god, we're alive! I thought we're done for. Thank God." _He gently pulled Ciel back to him and pressed a hand on his forehead. He barely felt it due to the numbness of his hands, but he knew that the boy still had a high fever. The boy was still shivering and releasing heavy breaths. They need to move out before he contracted Pneumonia, or worst, die. He gave the blue-haired boy a piggy back ride and strode their way out from the forest.

An hour had passed and soon Oz got a glimpse of a cliff from his right. He walked towards it and ducked his head down. It was a hill-like cliff; just below it was a narrow roadway leading to a more open space. Bliss instantly filled the blonde boy's demeanor. At last, they were out of the woods. All he had to do was bring him and Ciel down the hill. If they follow the trail, it would definitely lead them to a town, or better, back home. The only problem he was facing at the moment was how to do it while keeping the two of them free from scratches.

Oz sat by the edge of the cliff, still thinking of ways on how to get down, when Ciel finally woke up from his slumber—he had him on his lap now instead on his back. "How are you feeling, Ciel? I'm sorry if we took us this long, but look, I found a road. We're almost there, I think," he said, smiling. Ciel only stared at him, eyes brimming with pain and concern. He clutched Oz's coat lapel, as if about to say something. "What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?" Oz shot him a worried look. Ciel responded with his continuous coughs, which made the blonde boy panicked. Now's not the time to think. He sprang down the cliff. He did it with careful measures, but didn't get away from slipping and landing all the way down. He no longer got control of the situation and only managed to protect Ciel from the impact, causing his own forehead to hit the hard concrete beneath them. Blood instantly oozed from the small cut. It was seconds later when he fell unconscious, leaving them both lying on a thick snow.

* * *

Oz tossed. He could feel his head spinning, though there was a comfortable feeling behind his back. It was soft, like he was lying on a bed with thick blankets, big cushions, and cotton covers. Also, his body was no longer numb and he could feel warmth rushing through his entire system; although that didn't make the pain on his wounds disappear. He slowly opened his eyes; blinding lights hit his face, though only temporary when he finally adjusted to it. He looked around his surroundings, realizing that he was in an unfamiliar room and was actually lying on a comfy small bed. _"Am I dreaming, or am I already dead?" _He thought, but then brushed it away after making a conclusion that whatever the answer was, he wouldn't care less. At least, he was no longer cold and that he finally got to sleep in a soft bed again. But then, his indifferent attitude turned into an anxious one when he remembered the boy who was with him.

"Ciel!" he snapped, pulling his body upwards into a sitting position in a very careless manner, causing the wounds on his torso to release more troublesome pains. He looked around him for the second time—he was alone, no sign of Ciel or anybody else. He grunted, almost cursing himself after realizing that he was already crying. _"Why the hell am I crying? It's not like he is my little brother or my best friend. I barely know him, yet here am I worrying to death." _He instantly wiped the tears from his face and sighed in total disbelief. He was about to lie down once more when the door to his chamber creaked open. His jaw dropped as he stared at the person who was walking towards him. It was a girl around his age, with long, straight, lavender hair and a pair of pinkish irises.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're awake," she said as she put down the basin she was carrying. Oz only stared at her with his face stating that he has some questions needing to be answered. "My name is Isabel. My brother and I found you unconscious down the foot of the hill. We were there picking some chunk of woods. I panicked when I saw your wound, I thought you were dead," she explained, a shot of concern in her eyes. "Plus, the boy who was with you was in a critical condition so we thought of bringing you both here immediate—"

Oz cut her off upon the mention of the boy. "Oh, where is he? T-Take me to him. Is he alright? Please do tell me that he is."

"He is fine, though his fever is so high. But don't worry… my sister is tending to him right now. My brother gave him a warm bath a while ago while sleeping, since he really needed it to at least lower his temperature." Isabel put a palm over Oz's forehead. The lad tensed up, though relaxed on the touch after a couple of seconds. "You're warm. You contracted a slight fever too, I guess. I suggest that you make yourself comfortable. I'll draw you a hot bath. Please wait for me." She head back to the door and just glanced back at Oz when the latter called for her attention once more.

"Thank you, Miss Isabel," Oz remarked.

Isabel smiled warmly at him and then proceeded from going out of the room.

It only took Oz a span of ten minutes from his morning bath. Isabel's older twin brother lend him a plain shirt and a knee-length brown pants (a set of clothing majority of the commoners wear). It felt comfortable despite the cheap material used from making it. Oz went out from the room and proceeded downstairs where the siblings were. He was welcomed once again by Isabel, who asked him to come join them for breakfast. Normally, he would refuse, knowing that it is bad manners to do so in a stranger's house. But then, he did anyway, after realizing that it is bad manner as well to refuse an offer, plus his stomach was already screaming for food. He sat at a wooden chair beside Isabel, though before doing so, he glanced around the whole place. The house was medium in size, just the average size for three people to live in. The next thing he did was to glance at the table. There was a meal on it, consisting of a tasty-smelling mushroom soup with asparagus, white bread and rolls.

"Go ahead and eat. I'm sorry if that is all we could offer you," Isabel said.

Oz stirred from his thoughts when he heard her spoke. _"She doesn't speak commoner at all."_ He instantly felt a hip of embarrassment running through his senses. "I-It's alright. I am very much grateful for the offer." He lowered his head as he tasted the soup before him. His face instantly grew joy. "I-It's delicious!"

He heard giggles coming from Isabel and the younger lady opposite to her. He assumed that it was the sister she was talking about. "I'm flattered, Mister," he heard her spoke. The girl, who has short, black hair, was the one who made the soup he had just tasted. Oz threw a smile at her, which caused the 14-year-old girl to blush.

"Is this the first time you have eaten a plain mushroom soup?" It was the brother who spoke this time. Oz glanced at him, a little embarrassed. Isabel shot him a don't-you-dare-embarrass-him-or-else-I'm-gonna-kic k-you look. "Looks like you're not like those other noble kids who found commoner meals disgusting," he said, almost shivering from the glare his sister gave him.

"I-I don't really care whether I'm eating a high-class meal or not. Besides, this doesn't taste bad at all," Oz said.

The lad smirked. He was a foot taller than Oz and a bit cocky, though he could still feel that he's nice like an average brother. "I'm Ivenrei Blaire, cool to meet you. I'm Isabel's twin, bet you already know that. This one's Ilyasviel, our little sister," he explained. "You haven't told us your name yet."

"I am Oz. Oz Vessalius."

The three shot him a surprised look. Ivenrei leaned forward and said, almost yelling, "You're a Vessalius? Jolly, no wonder you have blonde hair and emerald eyes." Oz only responded with a chuckle. The four of them continued with their meal and finished just in time before the clock struck eight. Oz helped with washing the dishes despite the continuous demand of Isabel to just sit down and rest. When they were done with the task, the two of them joined Ivenrei and Ilya on the floor in front of the hearth. They stayed there, until a piercing scream broke the silence.

Oz stood up, almost like a rabbit perking its ears for sensing an utter danger. He dashed upstairs, with the three following him, straight to the chamber where the screams were coming from. When they got inside, no one was on bed, instead a blue-haired boy was curling on a corner, screaming words like, _'don't and help'_. Oz rushed to his side, landing a firm hold on the trembling boy's shoulder. Ciel could only scream. He didn't even realize that his savior had once again come to his rescue.

* * *

**A/N:** There's my OCs! Just a little secret, Isabel Blaire is actually me (HoHoHo. It's not a secret anymore). No, it's not my real name. It's my own designed character to portray my Fujoshi side. About Ivenrei, well, I just thought of creating another boy character to serve as Isabel's brother. The name was random—just something I thought that would fit the sisters' names. Ivenrei is a little grand for a commoner, but, oh well, never mind… I just always liked the name Rei. For Ilyasviel—she was the character I made to portray my little sister, although it didn't turn out well. Like Ivenrei, hers is too grand for a low-class English citizen. I got her name from _Ilyasviel Von Einzbern _of _Fate/Stay Night._ I really wanted to name my future daughter after her, and since it would surely take me long years before that would happen, I ended up creating an OC. For my future sons—yes, I want three kids—I want to name them after Ciel and Oz. Argh, cute! Of course, I want my first born to be a HE, so I can name him "Oz Adrianne Kaizser" (the third name, not yet sure.) I will have my baby aborted if it turns out to be a SHE—WAH! Just kidding. How mean of me. It's fine as long as my last baby is a HE again, so my very own Ciel will exist (I will spoil him to death! I will be a One Hell of Mother to him. XD) I had thought of naming him "Ciel Rihan Siegrein" ('cause I love Jellal of Fairy Tail) and my daughter as "Marie Ilyasviel Kleinne". Now, why am I sharing this in the first place? I guess this was the side effect of my long term writer's block.


	12. London Bridge

**Disclaimer: **Aigoo!

**A/N: ***kneels and asks for forgiveness* Don't hate me 'cause of this. I'm trying my best with everything.

* * *

**Chapter XII:** London Bridge

"Don't! P-Please, let me go!" Ciel kept on screaming while struggling from Oz's tight grip. "No! I-I don't want to do it! Please! N-No more! It hurts! It hurts!" Oz panicked once more when he saw more tears escaping from the boy's closed eyes. It was obvious that he was having a day nightmare. Leaving him on that state would only make the situation worst.

This time, Oz pinned Ciel to his embrace, while whispering soothing words to his ear. "Ciel, calm down… It's over. No one's going to make you do it again. I won't allow it. Hush, you're safe now. Come on, open your eyes. It's me Oz. I have you now."

From those words, Ciel finally stopped wailing and opened his eyes—much to the relief of the other four individuals in the room. He looked up and suddenly wrapped his arms around the older lad's neck; eyes still filled with tears. "O-Oz… t-they were… hurting me again," he said, whimpering.

"No, it's only a dream. No one's going to hurt you now," Oz answered, lulling the boy by rubbing his back and head. "Don't cry. We're in a safe place."

Ciel released the lad from his grip and stared at him this time. Oz responded by giving him a warm smile and by wiping the tears on his pale face. The red marks on the boy's cheeks didn't escape his eyes—both from the blue-haired boy's embarrassment and high fever. Ciel had to plop his face on Oz's chest just to hide it and to avoid an untimely dizziness. Oz picked him up from the floor in a bridal style, bringing him back to the small bed and tugging the blanket up to his chest for warmth.

"I think we need to call for a doctor," Oz heard Ilyasviel spoke. He glanced up at her, giving a look of approval.

"Are there any doctors around here?" he asked.

Isabel shook her head, explaining, "The closest one you can find is in London. We need to at least travel for an hour by carriage. This is the only house you can find here around this place. The rest are already far from here."

"A-An hour? _I-Impossible… how on earth did we manage to come here by foot?_" he said, almost whispering the next two sentences of his speech. "Do you have any vehicle we could borrow?"

"I'm afraid there's none for now. The wood supporting the wheels of our cart got broken from a while ago. We still have to fix it. I believe it will be ready by evening. But it would be too risky to travel by night. We still have to wait for tomorrow," Isabel added. The look on Oz's face stated that he was almost near from crying. "Don't worry, Oz. I'll try my best to look after him. He just needs some rest and a light meal."

Oz sighed and gave Isabel a worried smile. "Thank you. You really save me for the second time." Isabel instantly blushed. She turned around and excused herself to get some soup and another basin of cold water. Ilyasviel excused herself as well to help her sister, leaving Ivenrei with the two lads.

Ciel had stopped weeping and had his eyes closed now. Oz was still by his side, holding firmly his hands. The blonde lad let himself sank into another thought for a while, only to be pulled back into reality by Ivenrei's question. "Are you that worried about him?"

Oz turned to look at the black-haired lad with a surprised look. He wasn't able to answer from the start and only managed after a few seconds."Yes. I-I just couldn't bear to see him like this." He could only answer a simple one, considering that he didn't even have the slightest idea why he was so anxious of the boy's condition. He admitted that he had become way too overprotective of him, especially during the time when those two bastards touched the boy with perfect ease. He wasn't even like that towards his best friend.

"Well, it's expected from a brother," Ivenrei commented. Oz gave him another surprised gaze, which made Ivenrei doubt his own statement. "You are his brother, right?"

"U-Uh, y-yes… yes, of course. He's my little brother and his name is Ciel." As much as he didn't want to lie, he couldn't think of a better excuse. He couldn't just say that he just met him. That would be too awkward in relation to their current situation. They just seemed so close to each other.

"Knew it… though I'm wondering why a Vessalius like him doesn't own blonde hair and emerald eyes."

Ah, he didn't see that coming. "W-Well, we are… half brothers. Yes, we have different fathers. His has dark hair and blue eyes."

"Oh… you mean he's a child out of wedlock? As far as I know, the Duke isn't dead yet."

_"Damn. I shouldn't have lied. He didn't realize that Ciel is a Phantomhive… and it looks like he hadn't read the news surrounding me."_ He just have to nod and smile at that.

"It's kind of amazing… since you guys have different fathers, yet you're so close to each other. You're just like that famous Bridge of London, still keeping it together throughout the years despite the constant fall it had."

"_You'll find it more amazing if you found out that we're not really related by blood or any other connections." _Oz smiled once more, giving Ivenrei an interested look. "The London Bridge, huh? I like the sound of that. You have a good poetic mind there. Thanks, Ivenrei."

Ivenrei offered him a nod. A short silence drew in between them, followed by another question from the black-haired lad. "By the by, what happened to the both of you when we found you lying there? You were full of wounds. Were you attacked by a beast? Moreover, what are you doing in a place like that?" Oz thought for a second whether to tell the lad what happened. After deciding that he definitely should, he told him everything from the start up until the part where he lost consciousness (except the one when he killed the two abductors). At first, Ivenrei couldn't utter a single comment. It was just too shocking. Plus, he found it odd since a lad like him, bearing the same age as Oz, didn't even get kidnapped by those sickos. He never even heard of any kidnappings as of yet.

After the two individual's conversation, Isabel went back bringing with her the tools she went to get. By her help, they managed to feed the ill boy and sent him to sleep without any problems. After that, Ivenrei told his siblings the two boy's former situation from Oz's approval. As expected, they gave the same reaction as what Ivenrei had given. Oz had promised the three that there won't be any troubles anymore and that all of them were safe.

* * *

At that very moment, Zwei was on her room, wide-eyed and currently staring at the rows of displays on her table cabinet. Still, she refused to eat her breakfast and go out of her room. Bearing the knowledge that her brother wasn't home yet, gave her less drive to do anything that day. Zwei brushed a finger on one of the displays, until the said item found itself sitting on the girl's palms. She remembered it perfectly. It was the gift her little brother gave to her on her 13th birthday. The boy even insisted their mother to accompany him to town just to buy the gift his sister had once told him that she had been eyeing on for weeks. It was a silver music box, draped with little blue roses, made from the toughest porcelain. She examined it carefully; a smile forming on her lips, though the melancholy on her eyes remained. She opened it and a familiar melody instantly filled the silent room.

* * *

_London Bridge is falling down, _

_Falling down, falling down,_

_London Bridge is falling down,_

_My fair Lady…_

There it was. Someone was singing. It was a pretty, tranquil voice. Somehow, he could feel its authenticity.

Ciel opened his eyes. He found himself on a beautiful garden. All his worries and pains disappeared and a smile crept back on his small lips. _"London Bridge is falling down,"_ there came the song again; this time much clearer. He turned around and saw his sister smiling at him—beside the girl was his parents. There was no confusion that haunted his thoughts as he ran to dive at the comfort of his family. The next thing he knew was he was being dragged gently by his sister as the both of them walked hand in hand around their parents as they were singing the London Bridge's theme song. That simple game, alongside their laughter, instantly took Ciel's fears away. When he was caught as the last sentence was sung, the vibrant laughter around him was replaced by terrifying screams and chuckles.

_Take a key and lock her up,__  
__Lock her up, Lock her up.__  
__Take a key and lock her up,__  
__my fair lady…__How will we build it up,__  
__Build it up, Build it up?__  
__How will we build it up,__  
__my fair lady?_

In a blink of an eye, he was back to that sweets-filled room, but it was darker this time with the same tune still playing. His sister and his parents were nowhere in sight. He tried to scream but even a single whisper never escaped from his dry lips. He looked around him, hoping to find the other lad. Oz was there at the corner; his dress was filled with dark stains. To his horror, Ciel hurriedly ran towards the door and tried to open it, but found it futile to even try after learning that it was locked.

_Build it up with silver and gold,__  
__Silver and gold, Silver and gold.__  
__Build it up with silver and gold,__  
__my fair lady.__Gold and silver I have none,__  
__I have none, I have none.__  
__Gold and silver I have none,__  
__my fair lady.__Build it up with needles and pins,__  
__Needles and pins, Needles and pins.__  
__Build it up with needles and pins,__  
__my fair lady.__Pins and needles bend and break,__  
__Bend and break, Bend and break.__  
__Pins and needles bend and break,__  
__my fair lady.__Build it up with wood and clay,__  
__Wood and clay, Wood and clay.__  
__Build it up with wood and clay,__  
__my fair lady.__Wood and clay will wash away,__  
__Wash away, Wash away.__  
__Wood and clay will wash away,__  
__my fair lady._

He tried all of his might, but he didn't seem to advance any further on what he was doing. When he realized how useless his attempts were, his tears finally gave in. He stayed like that for a short period of time, until he felt warm arms embracing him from behind. He looked around and saw Oz. He was smiling and there were no blood on his shirt anymore. The older lad pulled the latch on the door, instantly opening it. Ciel couldn't understand what was going on, since he was certain that it was locked; but with the gentle lift of Oz's hand, they were able to get out of the room.

The two of them ran in an endless hallway. But wherever they go, they just couldn't seem to find the exit. They just continued running and in every door they would set their feet on, the floor underneath would just crumble down over and over again no matter how much they tried to get over to the other side. Ciel finally gave in and forced Oz to take a break. When they did so, the hallway was suddenly engulfed by darkness. When the lights came in, Ciel could only scream from the horrible sight of Oz being stabbed on his left chest by a red-hooded individual.

Ciel shut his eyes from terror, and when he opened it for the second time, he found himself in a small cozy room. The aura of the place seemed to put him at ease, although somewhat, he could still hear the tune. The only difference was it no longer had an eerie feel to it. It was comforting, more like inviting him to think that there would be no _'crumbling'_ and '_falling down'_ anymore.

_Build it up with stone so strong,__  
__Stone so strong, Stone so strong.__  
__Build it up with stone so strong,__  
__my fair lady.__Stone so strong will last so long,__  
__Last so long, Last so long.__  
__Stone so strong will last so long,__  
__my fair lady._

Yes, he was sure that this feeling of comfort would last long. After all, what he saw was all just a bad dream.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The abductors didn't take Ivenrei for the sole reason that he looked more manly and mature for his age, unlike Oz who looks more feminine (no one can deny that). This characteristic can be proven in the manga, itself, mainly at _Retrace XLVIII: Isla Yura,_ when Oz and Alice dressed as maids in order to sneak freely in Rufus Barma's Villa. When a random servant saw them, Oz had to act like a sweet girl, which really pissed him off to no end especially after the man blushed at him. He ended up saying, _"No matter how you look at it, I'm still a guy. Don't blush at me like I'm some cute girl you're drooling over!" _with Gilbert following, _"It's alright, Oz. You look gorgeous."_ Heh, talk about scenes like that. I have to admit that Oz do looks like a girl at some point, although he still won't win against Ciel's all-over-feminine characteristic.

Before forgetting, when I was surfing the net for the lyrics of _'London Bridge is Falling Down'_, I came upon two versions—one is much longer than what I had used above. I chose the _Mother Goose_ version for its lines were much more suited for the scene I came up with. (And yes, it's my favorite Nursery Rhyme, that's why.)

Still wanting to read some reviews from wonderful viewers out there! Have a nice day!:)


	13. The Cradle of Comfort

**Disclaimer: **Yana-sama and Jun-sama owns them (except my OCs, obviously)

**A/N: **I have to warn you for the curtain for a certain Boy's love had been raised. I can't imagine a little boy agreeing to that in real life. Oz is around my little brother's age and I have a boy cousin who's around Ciel's age (and who is really too short for an eleven-year-old). Goodness. Dumdumdumduuum! Daddy Vincent and Uncle Diederich, plus my cutie Undertaker will take the stage!

* * *

**Chapter XIII:** The Cradle of Comfort

Just by looking at Ciel's frightened face, Oz already knew that the boy had suffered from a nightmare. His heavy breaths and pool of sweats indicated the intensity of his dream. In order not to put any more pressure on the boy, Oz gently entwined his fingers between Ciel's trembling ones and gave him a reassuring smile.

Ciel looked up at him; a teardrop trickled down from his left eye. "O-Oz…?"

"It's only a dream," Oz whispered. "It's not real." He took the damp cloth from the basin and used it to wipe the face of the boy. Ciel struggled a little, but soon let the lad do what he intended to accomplish while keeping his mouth shut for a good period of time.

"I had dreamt of my older sister," Ciel finally said. "We were playing with our parents."

Oz remained silent for a while upon hearing what the boy had said. For a nightmare, that one was ironically nice. _Did something happen at the end of the dream?_ "Isn't that nice?" he asked, forcing a smile. "I didn't know that you have a sister."

"Her name is Echo…"

"Echo? You mean like a voice? What a cute name. I bet your sister is as sweet as you."

Ciel nodded. "She always tells me how much she loves me. I love her more, though. She's the one I want to marry."

This time, Oz chuckled. "You know, marrying your sister will cause your parents' death. I'm sure of that." He admitted that he found it eccentric, but as a whole he saw it as something cute for a child like Ciel to say.

"W-Why?"

"You can't wed your sibling, unless if the two of you are the only ones left in earth. People will call you indecent. Do you like that?"

Ciel shook his head; a faint red color was visible on his cheeks. He was embarrassed, but deep inside he couldn't fathom the mentality of people—if one can marry a cousin, then why not his or her sibling? Wouldn't that be easier if they do it instead? Oz, on the other hand, stared at Ciel with amusement. He knew that the boy was probably wondering by now. _"For an innocent child such as him… why does that thing have to happen to him?" _He brushed off the serious thoughts and remained joyful in front of Ciel. He had to play along, of course. Surely, the fever had already gone through the boy's head. "You know what? I also have a sister. She's younger than me, but I'm afraid she's a lot taller than me now." Oz chuckled once more. He just suddenly remembered his sister, Ada, who was now a 17-year-old teenager. Upon his mention, Ciel gave him a puzzled look, as if asking how that was possible. "It's a long story. Now, you shouldn't talk anymore. You still have a fever, see?" Oz checked his temperature and then slipped a hand under his nape, asking him if he could sit. He helped him up and then let him leaned on his chest for support. "How's your throat? Here's a mint tea Isabel prepared. This will help you—"

"Isabel?" Ciel asked as he looked up at Oz.

"Ah, you were half-unconscious a while ago so perhaps you didn't notice." Oz explained everything from the beginning until to the current situation, as Ciel began drinking the tea he had offered.

"I wish to thank them…"

"You can, after your fever subside. Is that alright?" Ciel nodded. Oz was about to tuck Ciel under the covers once more, when he suddenly landed on his knees after an intense pain hit his chest. He grabbed the blanket with his other hand and used the other to clutch his left chest. "U-Ugh! _Not now._"

"O-Oz! W-What's wrong?"

Oz's silent groans alarmed Ciel, which urge the latter to jump down from bed and grabbed the older lad. With adrenaline rush, he was able to unbutton the lad's shirt in a swift movement. When he did so, a startling image made his eyes widened from shock.

* * *

Alice fell on the cold floor and almost fainted when lightheadedness struck her. Good thing Break and Sharon were there to help her stand on her feet to move her to a nearby couch.

"Miss Alice, are you alright? What happened?" Sharon asked as she locked her hands between Alice's.

"I-I'm not sure, but this always happen whenever Oz—" Alice was interrupted when Gilbert entered the room; horror was seen on his pale face. "Seaweed head looks tired as well…"

"It's Oz… the hand of his seal moved!" Gil informed. "It means he's still alive and is around here somewhere. We really need to find him."

"It's because he used my power without consent!" Alice shouted back, angrily, although the tears leaking down from her eyes indicated her apparent anxiety and fear. "H-How… could he. I-I never want this to happen. T-The more he used it, the more his… life… is…" she wasn't able to finish her speech when she burst out crying like her usual way of having a tantrum. Sharon rubbed a hand on her back and tried to soothe her. Gilbert, however, didn't move from his post and just remained silent.

"What's with this depressing aura?" Break butted in. "Come on. Oz is still alive. No use crying over spilled milk. What's done is done. What good you can do now is to move out and bring him home."

"Break's right, guys. We have to go and find Lord Oz," Sharon said in approval. The other two individuals stopped from sulking and hurriedly head out again to find their friend.

On the other hand, Vincent tried his luck for the second time as he and Diederich went to consult with the Scotland Yard. Lord Randall welcomed them with his usual stern attitude. "Earl, I assure you that you won't get anything from me. The Queen's loyal dog should stop sticking his nose on other people's business."

Vincent clicked his tongue in annoyance, though he didn't show it. "Lord Randall, I am not a mere dog who just came passing by to sniff at someone's rubbish. I am here to gather something useful. Now don't tell me to leave for I am certain that this incident has much got to do with me rather than you."

Lord Randall shot him a look of suspicion. "And how well are you sure of that? Don't get too cocky just because you're some high Lord favored by the queen. You're nothing but a spoiled, carefree lord."

"I have enough of this!" Vincent banged his hand on the table. It was not like him to get carried away by anger. "My son has been missing for three days now and that is no coincidence anymore! Now, if you're not going to tell me who the leads were, I'll assure you that you'll settle this with the Demon, instead!"

It was now Lord Randall who grunted from annoyance. "Noblemen… always does what they want," he whispered. "Just this morning, we were able to track down the criminals. They were residing outside London…" Vincent waited, rather impatient. "It's the Viscount Aleister Chamber and his associate Baron Kelvin."

Vincent felt a strong pain on his head upon hearing the name. The one he thought wouldn't show his fangs, was in fact the one who already bit him without him noticing. How could he let a vermin in his own home? That level of stupidity and carelessness was unforgivable. "Tell me… the exact address. I'll deal with him myself."

"There's no need for that anymore. We went there immediately after relocating their whereabouts. What we saw is not something to celebrate upon either."

"What do you mean? Where's my son?"

"There were no children, Earl. There were no sign of his men as well, only two disheveled corpses." Lord Randall almost threw up upon remembering the image they saw. He just managed to remain on composure in order not to show any weaknesses to his number one enemy. "Now, I've told you everything. You can leave now. We're still on the search."

Vincent didn't say any more words as he and Diederich strode out from the station. Instead of returning home, they dropped by at the most suitable place where they could find more leads.

"Undertaker, we're sorry to intrude. Are you here?" Vincent called. Diederich gave out a disgusted look when Undertaker went out from a coffin.

"My, if it's the Earl and his German do—friend. A good day, gentlemen," he greeted with his trademark chuckle. Diederich glared at him while Vincent remained from his serious self. "Looking for coffins?"

"We're not here for that. It's work, Undertaker," Vincent answered. "Surely, you know what it is."

"Ah, so serious…Very well, it was murder… a very brutal one, that is." Before Undertaker resumed, he offered a seat, some tea, and biscuits, which they took gratefully except for the food offering. "Now, where are we? Ah, the Viscount and the Baron were murdered. The Baron's body was slashed two times, that only a few flesh held the body together. The Viscount suffered the same fate, however his was much brutal for his body was torn to shreds." The two men's eyes widened from shock, that the information had rendered them speechless for a good period of seconds. "They gave me a very hard work, indeed. I have to stitch them together in order to make them appear beautiful for their burial."

"T-That sort of thing… who do you think could do that?" Diederich asked.

"Ah, I'm certain that the person is not an ordinary one. You see, you need a huge, sharp weapon in order to accomplish such task."

"By a weapon, you mean a sword… or an ax?"

"Oh no, it would be very messy to use an ax. You need bigger and sharper… a scythe, for example." Undertaker moved a step closer towards the Earl and whispered, "A demon might be able to do it… or more accurately, the Blood-stained Black Rabbit and its deadly scythe."

Vincent gave him an inquiring look, for surely Sebastian or Charlotte wouldn't do such a thing without his orders; plus who would have thought that the Undertaker knew something about them, especially the chain he had just mentioned. He was about to give a comment when Diederich stood up and pointed a finger at the silver-haired man. "What do you mean by demons and some rabbit owning a scythe? What terrible humor you have! It makes me want to roll on the floor laughing!" he said, adding huge sarcasm on his last words.

Undertaker's laughter sent a mortified reaction on the black-haired man. "As they say, laughter is the best medicine. Whether you had delivered the joke appallingly or not, it would still remain as a form of humor," he said, placing a finger at Diederich's forehead. "Demons or Faeries… Surely, they do not exist in your head. Germans wouldn't appreciate these beings."

Diederich yanked the hand away and glared at the eerie man in front of me. "Might I just correct you… the English did not invent such fairy tales."

"They just made it Children-friendly, alright. But do not forget that they were the ones who made it popular in the eyes of many."

"Seriously, you two… Stop arguing about who invented these Fairy tales," Vincent butted in as he stood up as well and faced his friend. "Diederich, don't forget what we came here for."

"Yes, yes… I know. So, what about the children?"

"For the past two weeks, no children had been delivered here," answered the Undertaker. Vincent and Diederich exchanged glances. Undertaker doesn't take lying as his pastime—that just meant that the children were somewhat save.

"Do you know where Ciel and the others are?"

"I'm afraid not. There is no guarantee that they are still alive."

Vincent sighed. That was the last thing he wanted to hear from the man. "It won't kill me to stay in the bright side, now will it?" he turned away and walked towards the door. "Thanks for your time, Undertaker." Diederich followed behind him.

"My… I wonder what will be the Earl's reaction if he finds out about little Ciel's adventure," Undertaker said to himself as soon as the two men were out of his haunted-looking shop.

* * *

Ciel stared at the clock-like image on Oz's left chest; the needle had at least reached the bottom and completed half of its face. It was something Ciel could only picture out in that book his sister once read to him. "W-What… is… happening? O-Oz… Are you…"

Oz faced his back. He never wanted to show that seal to anyone. That only reminded him of his dreadful past, which he was trying so hard to forget. His life would remain normal by now if it wasn't for those red-hooded freaks. "This is… nothing. I'm fine now." He fixed his shirt and heaved a deep, long sigh. The pain had ceased entirely.

Of course, Ciel wasn't convinced. That was definitely not worth nothing, especially now that he realized that the names and whole personality of his new friend and the main character in that book were actually the same. "Y-You're him, aren't you? Ten years ago you were dragged into that place… and that rabbit-looking monster is called a Chain. I-It's all real… I can't believe it."

Oz sighed for the second time and whispered, "How come you know that story?" Ciel told him everything that he knew and how he managed to know everything from the start. Oz pursed his lips, disappointingly. Whose insane man would document his life story that carelessly without even asking for his permission? Hiding his irritation, he looked back at Ciel and placed a hand over the boy's head. "Now that you know all of that… I think it's better if you stop being friends with a sinner like me. I'm sure the emissary of the Abyss will come and get me again after what I did for killing those bastards."

"No!" Ciel cried, giving the plastered teen a sudden embrace. "T-They won't! You're not bad… I like you… and you're the one who saved me. They… they are the one who's bad. I hate them!"

"U-Uh…" Oz didn't see that coming. Who would have thought that Ciel would react like that? "You really do think like that?"

"Y-You're my first… friend outside home. My s-sister said that it's only natural for …a friend …to act like …this," Ciel said, getting interrupted by sudden burst of coughs.

"I see. I'm glad. Thank you, Ciel." Oz rubbed a hand on his back to relieve his coughing as he breathed in and out a bag full of air. _"Why do I have the feeling that I just said something wrong and got rejected in a nice way? Did my mind just get the wrong assumption?" _

A fleeting silence fell between the two as Ciel let his own thoughts wander into the endless maze of his experiences. The boy closed his eyes and momentarily let his mind explore the scenes. He stirred uncomfortably when he remembered the horrible acts done to him. Fear and tears abruptly returned. He pulled himself away from Oz for he was disgusted at his whole being—body and soul. It was like everything came back, with the torturous touches remaining on his skin and his whole consciousness.

"W-What's wrong? D-Don't you like it when I touch you like that? I'm sorry, I—" Oz's confidence momentarily left him when Ciel pushed him away. A bag of concern filled his whole demeanor.

"I-I… am… I'm filthy," Ciel began. Oz shot him a confused gaze. "I… could still… feel it. T-Those touches… I-It's just too… h-horrible." He placed both of his palms on his face and began to sob. "I-I d-don't understand why t-they have to do that. M-My… mouth could still feel… t-that awful t-taste. I-I don't want to remember it anymore."

Remembering the dreadful acts the Viscount and the Baron commenced made Oz's blood boil at the highest degree. It was too unforgivable that even he wants to forget it once and for all. He wanted to help Ciel erase the horrible memory, but he was no wizard who could change the past anytime he wanted. "Ciel, you know how much I wanted to help you… but I'm just an ordinary human. There's only one thing I can do for you." Ciel stopped weeping and looked up at Oz. "I can… make you forget... or more like replace the feeling, but this is something you'll find very unreasonable. Y-You might even hate me for this."

"I don't care, Oz. Anything… will do."

Oz looked straight into Ciel's pleading eyes. His reasons were confusing him as well at that very moment. It was not like he felt something for the boy already; his top priority was just to help him. Unfortunately, what he just thought of was just something a guy would do to the girl he likes. He might be going insane to think of doing that to a little boy. "Anything? Then… I-I… I'm going to… to… kiss you," he said, stuttering, "…on the lips."

Ciel's stare was replaced by shock and confusion. "Kiss? W-Why?"

Oz felt like exploding from embarrassment as he began explaining why he had thought of doing it. "T-The Viscount did that to you many times… so I just thought that if I do it again… instead of remembering that bastard, whom you'll remember is this, m-more like you'll think of me. I'm going to erase his taste from your mouth."

Of course, Ciel was embarrassed by the offer, but if that was the only thing which could help him then he was willing to do it; although it was not like he haven't done it before, but when it comes to other people, a vague sense of nervousness bothers him. "W-Will it work?"

"I-I don't know. We'll know after we have done it." Oz gently scooped Ciel's cheeks and stared at him with serious eyes. Ciel wasn't moving, just firmly offered back the stare of the older lad. Oz moved his eyesight down on Ciel's lips. That little opening, parted by those soft, sweet-looking lips, seemed to pull Oz closer and closer. He knew it himself; he would only dream of kissing cute girls, but for some reason, he was beginning to get attracted to the blue-haired boy's lips. He stooped his head down and gently placed a chaste kiss on Ciel's awaiting ones. At first, it was just more like a peck, until he began to move his mouth, initiating the said gesture. He didn't go any further than that, though, too afraid that it would only add up to Ciel's fear. When the kiss ended, he released the boy and immediately averted his look. There was a very short silence before Ciel decided to speak, although he didn't manage to do so for the door of the room suddenly open, revealing a smiling Isabel.

"Is Ciel awake? I thought I heard—" She stopped upon seeing the position of the two. "U-Uhm… What happened? Why are you both on the floor?"

Oz was too startled that he just managed to speak when Ciel almost blurted out what they had just did. He immediately halted the boy by covering his mouth and smiled nervously at Isabel. "N-Nothing. I-I just fell… and Ciel was just trying to help me even though I told him not to went down from bed."

"Oh… I see," Isabel answered and then knelt down in front of the two, scooping Ciel from the floor. "How sweet of you, but you still have a fever so you should just stay on bed." She helped the boy back under the covers and put another piece of wet cloth on his forehead.

"Miss Isabel," Ciel called when the girl had just finished what she was doing and was now helping Oz. Isabel turned around with a question on hold. "Thank you for saving us and for taking care of us."

"It's a pleasure, little darling." She smiled again and then walked towards the door. "Well, I just want to inform you that lunch is served. I'll bring one for you two. Excuse me for a minute."

Oz was able to heave a sigh a relief when Isabel left the room. "_T-That was close… I don't want to ruin my image in front of a cute girl._" He walked towards the bed and sat at its edge, reaching for Ciel. "How are you feeling right now?"

"Better…" Ciel smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. Oz felt relieved despite the terrible idea he just came up with. He laughed after Ciel said, "Although I'm afraid you'll get sick too."

"It's fine, as long as you're feeling better now." Ciel opened his eyes this time and asked Oz why he had covered his mouth a while ago. The blush on Oz's cheeks returned after remembering how close he was to being hated. "L-Look, Ciel… That thing we just did… I-I think it will be better if you refrain from telling anyone."

"Why? It's only a kiss. A lot of people always do that in front of others. Even my parents do… and whenever I do that with Echo, nobody seems to mind," Ciel said with a sudden change of perception towards the matter. Oz had just realized how indecisive Ciel's coping mechanism was. Sometimes, the boy was too innocent and would just cry without warning—exactly like a kid should behave during restless situations; but sometimes, he would just randomly talk about intellectual analogies, spilling out more of his unparalleled logic—more similar to how educated men should behave. The way he plays with people's reasons was very amusing on Oz's part, although he didn't expect that there would be much more to that child's innocent, yet genius mind.

"W-Wha—you… with your sister?"

Ciel nodded, saying that it was a habit already. Oz turned around to hide the shock on his face. If kissing someone was just that easy and wouldn't create such a ruckus, he had probably done it numerous times now with Sharon or Alice. Well, it was not like he and Alice hadn't done it already; that one was just a very different thing, considering that it was an important gesture for completing the contract. He couldn't even call it romantic. He brushed off the thought and faced Ciel once more, though he was again welcomed by another shocking proposal from the boy.

"You know, I even saw one doing it in front of the altar. If it's that immoral, then the church should just forbid it, don't you think?"

"W-What? No! That would be too much," Oz protested. "A-Anyway, it should be a secret between the _two of us only_. You do understand, right?"

"Okay," Ciel said and raised his hand, which Oz gladly took. "If something like that happen again… will you comfort me?"

Oz smiled and placed a light kiss on Ciel's hand. "Of course… If something is bugging you, just tell me. I'll erase the bad memories for you even if it takes me forever for it."

* * *

**A/N:** F-O-R-G-I-V-E -M-E. I couldn't help it anymore. I wanted to at least make Oz kiss my cute shota. Don't hate me for it. By the way, about the book at the first chapter, it was quite obvious that it was the story of Oz's adventure down the Abyss and to what had happened before and after he was dragged there. I didn't alter any of it. Just to remind you that Oz is Oz, himself—not Jack, not a plush bunny, but he does have some connection with Black-Rabbit, which I will reveal, if not at the next chapters, at its sequel. Ah, about Undertaker, I do believe I didn't portray him well. T_T Poor me. I didn't make him ask Vincent and Diederich to bestow him a heavenly laughter for the sole reason that he didn't need it. As you all know, Undertaker was once part of Vincent's group (Right? Right? As far as I saw and read on the manga…), so since I made Vincent as the Earl that just means that Undertaker still works for him; I didn't see the need for him to ask the Earl something like that. He just willingly gave him the information that he wanted as a sign of their alliance, although, being the usual Undertaker, he still got something else hidden under his sleeves. It was obvious that he knows a lot from the incident but only gave the Earl a few details to maintain his somewhat mysterious character.

I hope you like it! Tell me what you think of it if you have time. :)


	14. The Master, the Butler, and the Maid

**Disclaimer: **I... could only dream of having them.

**A/N: **The last time I visited this website, I was browsing a crossover fanfic between Vocaloid and Kuroshitsuji when I accidentally saw a story entitled: **The Maid, the Butler, and the Master** (yeah, something like that). Funny, it's almost the same as this chapter's title! XD It's so happens that I already finished making this one when I bumped into it. I swear I didn't plagiarize it.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE WHO REVIEWED/FAVORITED/FOLLOWED MY STORY! *HUGS AND KISSES* Oh, and here's an I LOVE YOU to my 'Xerxes-niisama'! XD ENJOY!

Pretending is an ugly thing. I hate it, but love it at the same time. I wish... *screams* ... I just can't. (Just talking to myself. Don't mind me.) I'm still a little depressed because my freaking laptop's keyboard is still not working. I can't get any stories done and have to borrow my uncle's laptop 'cause of it. Now that I'm back at my boarding house, the rest of the days will be like hell. NO UNCLE'S LAPPY ANYMORE! ARGH! I wish my HAKUIEN (laptop) receives a miracle!

* * *

**Chapter XIV:** The Master, the Butler, and the Maid

It was past lunch time when Vincent and Deiderich arrived at the Phantomhive Manor. As the door opened before them, they were immediately welcomed by the Phantomhive's footman, Snake. "Welcome back, Master Vincent and Lord Deiderich, says Oscar," he said with his usual tone and deadpan stare. He has the habit of talking in behalf of his so-called cold-blooded friends, adding 'says—with the name of one of the snakes (which were obviously taken from famous authors)', at the end of his speech. This has become a constant amusement on the whole household's part, except for one strict butler known as Sebastian Michaelis. "I hope the Masters wish to rest for now, says Emily."

"That was very thoughtful of Emily. But I'm afraid I won't be doing that for now," Vincent answered with a smile as he stroked the head of the female snake. "Ah, of course I didn't forget you guys. That was a nice greeting, Oscar, and well done on your job, Snake." He did the same to the other animal and patted the young lad on the head, ruining his hair on purpose. Snake blushed from gladness and embarrassment. Vincent and Deiderich walked pass the young footman, leaving him on his work.

"That kid is kind of creepy. Why are you letting those snakes roam your mansion freely?" Deiderich asked in a whisper the moment they arrived at the foot of the stair.

"They do not bite… and even if they do, I'm certain that my servants won't allow them to even lay a single bite on my family."

"As careless as ever."

Vincent felt the need to smirk at his friend's comment. He just brushed it off when he saw his wife, together with Meilin and Finny, making their way towards them. "Vince!" By her tone, it was obvious that she had so many questions piled up for her husband. Before she even managed to continue to speak, Vincent went on ahead of her. "Just a little bit more. Ciel will be back by evening, I promise."

"Y-You've found him?" Rachel's demeanor abruptly changed from anxious to blissful.

"Almost into finding him," Vincent reassured and placed a chaste kiss on Rachel's forehead. Of course, Vincent's assurance was half a bluff on his part. He still didn't know where his son was, but now that the abductors' dead, he was half certain that Sebastian would be able to find him this time.

"I-Isn't that great, M-Master?" Meilin suddenly spoke. Vincent, Rachel, Deiderich, and Finny all turned to look at the young maid. "U-Uh… F-Forgive me, I-I didn't mean to!"

"It's alright. What is it, Meilin?"

"I-I… j-just thought that… the Master should rest n-now that… uhm…the young master is," Meilin paused, considering what to say. She just chose not to pursue any further regarding the matter and only stated something suited for her as a maid. "I-It's just you haven't… e-eaten your lunch yet, M-My Lord," she added, stammering like she usually did when talking to someone who has a higher status than her.

Vincent smiled. "Ah, how rude of me. Thank you for your apparent concern, Meilin. Could you just do me the favor of preparing something for my friend? I'll join him later. It would be fine, right?" he said, glancing at the two ladies. Meilin bowed, while Rachel asked Deiderich to join them at the Dining table. When the three went on their way, Vincent called for the young gardener who immediately ran towards his side. "Finny, can you call Sebastian and Charlotte for me? I'll have them in my study." Finnian saluted while Vincent excused himself and went up to his office to wait for his two Demon servants. It didn't take the two said demons seconds, after Finnian informed them, to arrive at the said room.

Sebastian and Charlotte stood at each side of the table, both glancing at their Master with serious eyes. Vincent traced a finger at his family ring—the rare Blue Diamond—where the contract signs of his pact with Sebastian and Charlotte could be found. Charlotte's sign was a lion with a crown sitting atop its head; since both was placed at the same item, it appeared hers was encircling Sebastian's Faustian Mark like a snake on a tree. Her Contract sign is very much different from the other demons; for as the acclaimed Princess of Hell and the Demon of Lust, it was very much expected of her to use an image bearing such nobility (although using such was awfully humorous and ironic for a high, impious Demon such as her). On the other hand, Sebastian as a Fallen Angel, only second to Lucifer, had acquired the grandest mark which was much more suited to his appearance and rank.

"My Lord, could it be that the suspects are already dead? Without doubt, their souls had been ripped out from their bodies," Sebastian said, breaking the silence between them.

Vincent told them all of the details they had gathered. The two shot him a look which consisted of confusion and interest. "I trust that you had nothing to do with it."

"There will be no way we will act against your orders, Master," Charlotte told Vincent, brushing all the doubts he had on mind.

"Very well, you have my trust." Vincent gently pressed his lips against his ring and with a serious tone, he uttered, "Sebastian, Charlotte, this is an order. Find my son and bring him back here. I leave the matter of the other abducted children on your care, as well. You have three hours to accomplish the task. I anticipate you won't fail me this time."

"Yes, My Lord. You have our word." With a swift bow, the two demons went on their mission.

* * *

Sebastian closed his eyes for the meantime as he and Charlotte stood atop a tree. Luckily, he was able to pick up signs on the air this time. He just needed a moment of silence to locate the whereabouts of his young master.

"Let's go, Charlotte," he called as he jumped at the nearby branch from where they were standing.

"Speak of the good news, dear. I want to hear it from you," Charlotte responded and followed Sebastian on his trail.

"I found him. He's fine," Sebastian answered, "but, somehow I could sense a very powerful aura lingering near him…"

"I suspect it's not a demon?"

"Yes. But still we have to be careful and take the Young Master away from it as soon as possible."

* * *

Ciel and Oz, along with the Blaire siblings, sat cozily in front of the hearth. They were having a silent time together, looking at the dancing flecks of fire in the fireplace. The stillness surrounding them was only broken by Isabel's question to the blue-haired boy.

"Ciel?" The boy instantly responded by turning his head towards her. "Why won't you just stay in bed and rest there? It would be very convenient on your part."

Ciel just shook his head, telling her that he would feel more at ease with Oz around him, considering the nightmare he just had. The four, especially Oz, could only smile at his answer. The boy, despite his small, weak body, could be very persistent and dominating.

"Your fever… I'm just worried," Isabel added.

"It's alright, I guess, Miss Isabel. I'm keeping a constant look at him." Oz gently pulled Ciel closer to him, putting his arms around the boy's waist. Ciel responded by meekly leaning his head against his chest. Somehow, the way Oz speaks and delivers his embraces reminded Ciel of Echo, and on the other hand Ciel's attitude reminded Oz of Ada. "Cold?" Oz asked as he wrapped the piece of thick blanket tighter around Ciel's body. The latter just shook his head and raised his hand, outlining Oz's lower lip with his small fingers. "W-What are you doing?"

"Ciel is like a baby." Oz looked at his side when he heard Ivenrei spoke. True, Ciel is still a kid, compared to him who doesn't need someone anymore to put him to bed or sing to him when he's scared during the night. Maybe Ciel still has those habits, like what he just did, seeing that the boy instantly fell asleep after the gesture. "And Oz is like a father," Ivenrei added which sent a blush on Oz's cheeks.

"I-I'm not that old to be a father," he defended. Indeed, he was telling the truth. After all, he was only 25, but moreover, his current appearance stated that he was only 15. The black-haired lad only answered him with a smirk. His habit of adding overstatements to his answers only led to small quarrels, so he better not say anything at all. A short silence passed by before Oz asked a question to the siblings. "Speaking of, where are your parents?"

"They both died in an accident five years ago," was Isabel's straightforward answer. "It was winter too. They were out in the woods that day. Those who saw it happened said that the ice on the river broke and they both fell on it."

"What… tragedy. I'm sorry if I made you remember."

Isabel just smiled. It was Ilya this time who asked him something. "How about yours, Mister Oz?"

Oz closed his eyes for the meantime, remembering his true status with his parents. Honestly, he doesn't like talking about parents, but realizing that he was the one who opened up such topic, he needed to respond accordingly. He opened his eyes and said, "My father, well, he hates me ever since the beginning of my consciousness." He just smiled at the comment and continued, "And my mother… I killed her."

The three siblings gasped at Oz's words. "K-Killed?"

"I don't know… I don't remember anything. My father's blaming me for her death; calling me I'm a murderer." Oz sighed. The siblings were giving him a sad, grave look. What they were thinking of was something related to child birth, but surely they weren't convinced about their deduction after landing a glance at the bundle in Oz's arms.

"Wait, I don't understand. Surely, there would be only one perfect reason for her death, which was your birth, if your father kept all the blame to you. What I don't understand is Ciel's existence. You two are half-brothers, right?" Ivenrei voiced out.

Oz felt a harsh stab on his brain. He had just forgotten about the lie he told them. And about his mother's death, surely his birth wasn't the reason, knowing that his mother died a few years after Ada's birth. He just couldn't remember how it happened. Now, he needed more explaining to do. "U-Uhm… about that… I'm sorry. The truth is, Ciel is—" The interruption came when they all heard a knock at the door. Isabel rose from her seat to check on it, only to be halted by Oz. The girl turned around, embarrassed by the sudden touch. "Wait. I don't like the feel of this," he whispered. "This place is far from other houses, right? Don't you think it's a bit unusual?" He could feel his heart bouncing from apparent anxiety. After what they had gone through, it was only natural to act that way.

"I'll go check. Make haste and run if something happen." Ivenrei walked towards the door and slowly opened it. What appeared in front of him was a couple—a man with raven hair, wearing an all-black butler suit and a pink-haired lady, wearing a high-class maid outfit. The grandness of the two individual in front of him, despite their mark as a mere servant, rendered the boy speechless for a couple of seconds. "I-Is there something I can do for you?" he asked, recovering from his thunderstruck moment.

"We are very much sorry for this sudden interruption, young lad, but we are looking for a boy… around eleven years of age, dark-haired, blue eyes," the man said, "If you happen to know something, would you be so kind and hand him over?"

Ivenrei froze. He knew who the man was looking for, but he couldn't just let them enter and gave the whereabouts of their two visitors. It was better safe than sorry. "I-I'm sorry, but, I didn't see anyone."

"A little liar, eh?" The man smirked. "Do we look bad to you? I apologize if I got you scared. Will you just please hand the young master over to us? We don't have all the time in the world. Our master only gave us three hours for this." He checked his pocket watch and frowned at the time. "Oh my, it's the ninth hour already. Young lad, where are you hiding—"

"I-I told you already! I don't know anything! Go away!"

When Oz and the others heard his scream, they immediately ran in the kitchen straight to the back door, but what awaited them there was the lady, herself. In a split second, she was able to sense a change in the atmosphere.

Isabel and Ilyasviel screamed from fright and shock, causing Ciel to wake up from the noise. Oz moved backwards, only to stop when he saw the look on the lady's face; tears were streaming down from her face. "_W-What's going on?_"

"Y-Young… Master…" She ran in a hurried, yanked Ciel away from Oz, and hugged the plastered boy. "O-Oh, you're safe! The master will be so glad."

"L-Lotti?" Ciel slowly looked up, too confused on what was going on; to how Charlotte just appeared right in front of him. He might be in dreamland.

"Yes, young master, it's me," Charlotte whispered, kissing the young boy on the forehead. Oz, Isabel, and Ilya stared at the scene, wide-eyed. On the other hand, the man, who was obviously Sebastian, forced his way in and almost cried upon seeing his little master being cradled by his lover. If it wasn't for his pride as a high-class demon, he would probably burst into tears now.

When Ciel saw his butler, he sprang from Charlotte's grip and dived at Sebastian, calling for the man's name repeatedly with tears leaking out from his blue eyes. Sebastian couldn't control his emotions anymore. From his long life as a demon, that would be the first time he would let his pride go and had that rare opportunity for others to see him cry while holding a little boy in his arms. With that reunion bestowed upon him, his burdens had finally ceased. He now had the face to show to his Master without any shame running through his entire system. "Ciel, you don't know how glad I am to see you," he whispered in the boy's ear. He just had the urge to call his little master by his first name. To his much relief, the boy didn't mind it at all, even at the slightest. Ciel even tightened his grip on him. When he did so, that was when Sebastian realized the high temperature enveloping the boy. "Y-Young master? Could it be that you have a fever right now?"

"Oh no! Sebastian, we better go. His asthma," Charlotte frantically said.

"A-Asthma?" Oz asked, too shock to hear the word from the lady. Isabel and her siblings gave him a puzzled look, as if asking how on earth why Oz knew nothing about it. "_He has asthma? S-So that's why he looked like he couldn't breathe when we were still outside the cold. God, if I had been careless, he could have died._" Charlotte just gave him a nod, while Sebastian lifted Ciel on his arms.

"Let's go, Lotti. We're taking the young master home—"

"W-Wait a second!" They all turned to look at Isabel who just suddenly yelled out from confusion. "Can someone explain to me what's going on? You just came barging in and scared the hell out of us, and now you're taking Ciel and leaving just like that? You can't just do that! It's common etiquette to at least introduce your selves. Judging from what you're wearing, you're a butler, so you should know that!" she continued, huffing for air after finishing her statement.

"My, a lady shouldn't yell like that." Isabel instantly blushed from embarrassment. "Indeed that was rude of us, young lady. But we don't have enough time for long introductions," Sebastian said, slightly bowing his head for an apology. "As you had said, I am a butler, given the name Sebastian Michaelis and the lady who is with me is Charlotte Baskerville. Did that answer your question? I apologize, but we have to leave." He turned around and walked pass the children.

"Sebastian, how about them? Didn't the Master order us to deliver the other children back too?" Charlotte asked in a whisper.

Sebastian stopped and looked back at them, as if scanning something with his blood-red eyes. "The other three are not related with the abduction, but that lad with blonde hair…" He stared at Oz, eyes widening a little upon remembering something from the past. "_That aura I felt a while ago was his. So, it was all true? Who would have thought that a character would go out from the pages of a book? I can still smell the rabbit inside… but all to him now are all new._" He smirked, which instantly sent shivers down Oz's spine. "A Vessalius, I see. We'll take him with us."

Charlotte immediately took Oz's hand and gently dragged him towards the taller man. "I apologize, Young Lord. You'll be heading home too with us," she explained. Just by hearing the surname, Vessalius, she already knew that the lad is a noble as well.

Oz instantly blushed when Charlotte offered him a smile. "_What a pretty lady…_" As soon as he stepped closer to Sebastian, Ciel struggled from the latter's grip, made his way down, and gave Oz another of his surprise embraces. "C-Ciel? What's wrong?"

"I-I'm sorry, I forgot about you! I-I was so happy… that I… forgot," Ciel explained, too ashamed for forgetting his savior like that. He released Oz from the embrace and grabbed his left hand. Sebastian got the message; he knew that once his little master got attached to someone or something, he didn't have any plan of letting it go. His stare fell on the two hands entwined together, straight to the identical bangles hanging on their wrists. Oz followed his gaze. Realization struck him instantly. That bracelet was given to him by an unknown person; after wearing it, a mysterious tune played, and then following his nightmare. The same happened to Ciel; he was certain of that, after realizing that they were wearing the same cursed bracelet.

Sebastian tried to touch the thing, only to be halted by an electric current flowing through it. It instantly sent a slight sting on his fingers, forcing him to withdraw his hands in a manner not too obvious. "Would you mind taking off your bracelets?" Without questions, the two unclipped the things off from their wrists, dropping it down on the ground. In a swift movement, Sebastian had broken it in a single stomped of his foot. "Now, shall we go?"

"A-Ah, yes," Oz answered, but before he entered the carriage, he shot the three siblings a smile and a thank you.

* * *

[Phantomhive's Point of View]

It only took Sebastian, Charlotte, and Ciel thirty minutes before arriving at the Phantomhive Mansion. They had Oz dropped down on his own manor first before proceeding home. That span of time was long enough for Sebastian. He had a hard time convincing Ciel to let go of Oz that he ended up making the young boy cry again. Upon the mention of his parents, Ciel behaved at once, much to his butler's delight.

Ciel called for his parents at once upon entering the door. Even though Sebastian told him not to scream and run because of his fever, he just didn't listen due to the joy he was feeling right at that moment.

Meanwhile, Rachel sighed for the fifth time that day. She and her husband were currently staying inside the Earl's office, drinking hot tea to relieve some stress. "Oh my. This is not good," she muttered under her breathe. Vincent tilted his head from his tea to his wife with a question at hand. Rachel put her cup down, wiping the single tear from the corner of her left eye. "I'm starting to hear things. I can hear Ciel's sweet voice calling." Vincent just gave her a pitied look. He had to admit that he, as well, had been hearing things right at that moment. He just hoped Sebastian and Charlotte managed to accomplish the task,

The couple both heaved a sigh of displeasure and resumed to what they were doing. Their full attention was just gradually caught by another call, which became louder and nearer after just a couple of seconds. Now, they weren't hearing things anymore.

"Mommy! Daddy!" It was now coming outside the door of his office. Rachel sprang from her seat, with Vincent following after her, and opened the door in an unladylike manner. When Ciel saw his mother, he said no more, not even hesitating to embrace her. The Countess almost jumped from too much joy as she held her son back into a tight embrace. The Earl, on the other hand, was speechless beyond grasp.

"O-Oh, sweetheart! I-I can't believe you're back!" Rachel cried, "I-I'm so glad to see you!"

The boy just cried with her and only stopped when he noticed his father staring at them with almost teary eyes. Rachel noticed it immediately, so he let her son go. Ciel eagerly slipped off from her and did the loving gesture this time to his father.

"Ciel, baby…" Vincent had his arms around the frail boy as he whispered the words sweetly into his ears. Normally, a father would only wish for a strong-willed son who would soon take over his legacy and that such sweet nothings weren't needed in shaping them. But, in Vincent's case, he had tolerated every childish actions of his child, spoiled him till he grew tired of asking, and told him almost all the sweet words in the world. In truth, Ciel is a strong-willed kid. Despite his young age, he had done things that normal children wouldn't do during their spare time. He's smart, can do his Latin and Greek without aid, knows how to use a handgun (though, Rachel forbid him to even touch one), economically-gifted, and one hell of a genius in Chess. But, being an eleven-year-old kid who lived all his life on a cotton wool with a silver spoon on his mouth, he has a lot of childish habits. He hates acting all mature in front of anyone. He would rather play all day, laughing at silly jokes, than locking himself inside his room and yelling at anyone who would end up disturbing his solitude. He's very prawn to crying and always good at saying sweet nothings to people to get their sympathy. That is exactly the main reason why Vincent couldn't help himself in front of him. His adorable angel could instantly take his life-long stress in just a single stare. Those who were with him starting from the birth of his son knew exactly what he had felt when the boy was taken away by those heartless imbeciles.

"I missed you," was Ciel's answer. Vincent felt his whole body melting from the simple word that escaped the boy's tiny mouth.

"I missed you too, Ciel." He placed a chaste kiss on Ciel's forehead and then proceeded on examining him. "Were you hurt by them? Did they do horrible things to you?"

Upon the mention of the word _horrible, _Ciel's façade instantly changed into a horrified, frightened look. Vincent seemed to get the picture; indeed, _something _had happened to him. He knew it wasn't easy to spat out something which would give a person a feel of uneasiness, but holding into the slim chances of the boy answering, he still waited patiently. Seconds passed before Ciel finally spoke. He told them everything, and when it meant _everything_—every single detail that he could remember. Although he didn't mention anything regarding Oz, his past, and to what he had done in order for them to escape due to the promise he held with the blonde.

Vincent's face grew grave from all the words he had heard. Rachel, upon hearing it, almost fainted. Good thing, Charlotte and Sebastian were there to give her comfort. The lady just buried her face on her handkerchief, crying her heart out.

"Was… that… true? They did that… to you?" Vincent asked once more, in case he just heard it wrong; his hands clutching tightly on Ciel's shaking shoulders. Ciel could only nod. The Earl's body was now trembling from rage. "_How could those people…" _ _No._ They were not someone you could call a human being. They were simply beasts that really needed a taste of hell. They were the earth's most disgraceful, filthy animal. Vincent would like to send his outmost gratitude to the one who murdered those pigs. He excused himself for the meantime, hiding his tear-filled orbs as he gently hand Ciel over to his weeping mother.

Sebastian and Charlotte followed their master's actions, standing just in time when Vincent called for them. When the three of them were far enough from the two's earshot, Vincent spoke in an icy tone, not even turning to glance at the two individuals behind him. The pentacle on his ring radiated a bright purple instead of the normal blue as he spoke.

"This is an order. Find the Viscount's men," he began, his words spitting venom in each syllable. "Show those bastards no mercy and make them bleed in the most humiliating way."

Eyes changing into a tinted dark pink, Sebastian and Charlotte swore to accomplish yet another exhilarating job.

_"No one messes around with the Queen's Noble Watchdog, not even some filthy field mice."_

* * *

**A/N:** Gah! This had become longer than I had expected. There, I gave Vincent, Sebastian, and Charlotte enough screen time. I hope I gave them enough justice. *shivers* an angry Vincent Phantomhive is scary, even if he just showed it at the last part and slight from the previous chapter. I wouldn't like to anger him. Now that Ciel is back, everything will be back to normal (or is it?). There are still a lot of adventures to come. Wait till young love blossoms between certain characters! (My shonen-ai fantasies not excluded, so if you hate the major pairing, just say so and don't curse me behind my back 'cause it hurts, really. T_T) Speaking of romance, I'm still thinking of how I will commence the love square thingy for the next chapters. Oh, yes, there's a love square—or not really since it's basically a Harem. Just find out who will have all those lovely individuals~

And before I nearly forgot, I altered the death of Oz's mother! I just felt like including it. :P

Oh! How hard it was to write a chapter with plenty of character participation!


	15. Into the Emerald City

**Disclaimer: **I'm not the owner of Black Butler and Pandora Hearts.

**A/N: **And so... I'm back. Honestly, I do not have the drive to continue this story anymore. I never wanted to update this piece of trash, but since I still had this one chapter sleeping in my laptop, I just thought I might as well submit it. If ever there are still people who wants to continue reading it, just tell me. :)

* * *

**Chapter XV:** Into the Emerald City

[Vessalius' Point of View]

"We just arrived at your home, Lord Vessalius," Sebastian informed as soon as the horses stopped on their heels.

Oz opened his eyes and glanced outside the window to his right. He just had those green orbs of his closed for a moment and upon opening it, the ride had ended and they were now in front of his own mansion. "_Just how in the bloody hell…_"

Coming out from that short ride, he fully got a glimpse of the Vessalius Mansion's splitting beauty. With its strong, huge walls that shone like silver under the daylight, golden pavement, and the lush greenery surrounding the entire area, the scenery instantly sent a vibrant feeling to the blonde boy's senses. Surely, it was the same feeling he had felt when he finally got out of the Abyss. Oh, how he missed it. It was like everything went back to normal.

Without any response, Oz started to dart off inside the property, but only to be halted by a sudden tug on his sleeves. When he turned around, he saw Ciel staring at the said Mansion with his hands clasped around his arm. "Is this your home?"

Oz nodded, placing his other hand on Ciel's head. "I guess this is goodbye for now."

"W-What?" Ciel regarded him with a confused, sad look. "I thought you're coming too? That's why they took you with us."

"No, I don't think that was it. They won't bring me here if that's the case."

"B-But, that's—"

"Young master, we have to go," Sebastian called, interrupting the boy from talking. "Say your goodbyes now to you friend."

"No! I'll just stay here with Oz!" Ciel held fast on the blonde boy, preventing him from backing away. "I don't want to go yet."

Without a second thought, Sebastian said no and pulled him away. But Ciel was just too eager to stay behind that they ended up exchanging a couple of yells until Ciel finally ended up crying.

"Y-Young Master, stop! Your Asthma!" Sebastian tried all his best to soothe him. Unfortunately, it didn't work too well on his part.

Oz sighed and embraced Ciel. Somehow, it made him stop from weeping. "Ciel, look… didn't you miss your parents already? I'm sure they miss you so badly now. You better go home and I promise I'll visit you next week once I settled the matter with my relatives." And with that, Ciel finally stopped and nodded in agreement, much to Sebastian's pleasure. The butler led the boy back into the carriage, though before he entered, Oz called for him again. "Ciel, I nearly forgot. I would like to ask for a favor," he whispered, "Please, no matter what happens, don't tell anyone about what you saw and what you knew about me… as well as our little secret."

Ciel nodded and raised his pinky finger to entwine it with Oz's. "I promise."

Oz smiled and placed a light kiss on Ciel's cheek. "Yeah, I'll see you soon," and off he ran inside, leaving the blue-haired boy touching the place he had just laid the kiss on.

"Oh, looks like the Young Master found a new babysitter," Charlotte teased the raven-haired butler beside her. Sebastian just sighed as they watched the young boy fiddled with his hair with his head plopped down. Surely, with his personality issues, Ciel doesn't know how to play with his own feelings.

* * *

"Oh, Oz! What brought you here? I thought you were staying with the Rainsworths?"

Oz stared, dumbfounded, at his Uncle Oscar. The old man was sitting cozily at the sofa, drinking coffee with his free hand. He didn't even bother to ask how he was. It was as if he didn't get kidnap at all.

"Uncle… could it be…" He paused. Right, that was probably it. It could be that his uncle didn't know anything about the abduction. _"Should I tell him?"_

"You were saying?" Oscar asked, putting the teacup back on the table.

"_Better not." _Oz shrugged and sat down beside his uncle. "Where's Ada?"

"Still at Latowidge." Oscar sighed. "I don't know what's going on with that girl's mind. I thought it was Gil whom she had her eyes on… I wasn't even informed that she was actually too attached on Gilbert's younger brother!"

Oz remembered the time when they sneaked into Ada's school just to confirm the message on her letter. They got the wrong assumption, though, that Ada loves Gilbert. But then, it was just last month when he found out that Ada was having secret dates with Vincent Knightray just because she believed that they held the same interests.

"—and now, I can't believe that the lucky boy was actually that Elliot Knightray! Another of Gilbert's brothers! What do these guys have, seriously?" Oscar yelled, almost dramatically.

Oz instantly went back to reality upon the mention of the name. "E-Elliot? Seriously, Uncle Oscar?!" Oscar nodded, wiping an invisible tear on the corner of his eye. "N-No way…" Oz sighed. He couldn't swallow the entire fact. Ada is two years older than Elliot, plus the boy is a total grump. As much as he wanted to be friends with him, he couldn't afford to give his sister's hands to anyone, even to his best friend. He just brushed off the displeasing thought upon remembering Gilbert and Alice. He immediately informed the others his condition and to where he was. In less than half an hour, Gilbert, Alice, Sharon, and Break came and showered him with endless hugs.

Oscar, too confused on what was going on, decided to leave the youngsters in their own world.

"O-Oz, I thought we're going to lose you for eternity," Gilbert said, not intending to let go of the blonde. His face was brimming with both sadness and joy. Alice, on the other hand, was trying her best not to drop even a single tear, despite the fact that it was obvious that she was about to.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Gil," Oz answered with dreaded remorse, "And Alice, I hope you don't hate me."

"I-Idiot… w-why would I hate my manservant!? Y-You were… I … I-I missed you! I thought you're not coming back anymore!" Alice yelled, blushing furiously while her tears eagerly escaped her purple eyes. Apparently, she could no longer contain her happiness.

Oz smiled and patted Alice's head. He then turned around to face Sharon and Break. "Sorry for the trouble. I hope my disappearance wasn't that of a burden."

"Oh no, not at all, although we almost lost all hope this morning. We're glad you're safe, Master Oz." Sharon gave him one of her melting smiles, causing cupid to shot arrows twice on Oz's chest.

And then, out of the blue, they all heard a chuckle coming from Break. "My, my… You're one lively victim, aren't you? I caught you winced from pain a couple of times earlier when we gave you the surprise tackle. Was it from the wounds on your torso or your left chest?"

"W-What? Master, are you hurt!?" Gilbert instantly came to his aid with his worry face.

"Gil! How many times do I have to tell you never to call me Master?!" Irritated from his servant's formality, Oz yelled back.

"B-But—" Oz immediately gave him a death glare. "Y-Yes, Oz…"

"Much better," Oz sighed. "Besides, I am fine. These are just wounds. It will heal."

Just after his speech, he received a good light punch on his head by Break. "Seriously, brat, it's just a wound, but I assure you that you'll get more if you continue to act stupid. Look, you even have one on your forehead." He smacked him on his forehead this time with his fingers. "Plus, you look terribly pale. Now, you have a lot of explaining to do."

Oz sighed and sat on an armchair, readying himself from questions. And for the second time that day, he explained everything, especially about his sudden berserk mode and about the seal on his chest. He truly needed a word with Alice and Gilbert regarding the matter.

"I see, it moved." Break placed a finger on his chin as if thinking, and then suddenly plopped down on the chair with his usual careless actions. "Oh well, what's done is done. Forget about it and move on~"

"Break! How could you say that? It's Master Oz's fate we're talking about here!" Sharon reminded, putting both hands on each side of her hips.

"You said so yourself, my lady. It's fate. We cannot alter it, can we?"

"Break is right, Sharon. We can't do anything about it, so it's fine," Oz answered with a weary smile.

"Of course, we can!" It was Gilbert this time who gave an opinion. "We can just break the contract and—" and then he stopped, seeing the distressed look on Alice's face. "I… I'm sorry, stupid Rabbit."

"The contract between us will remain and I will not do something that will harm—"

"Seaweed Head could be right, though," Alice interrupted. "You can just kill me, Oz."

"No!" Oz violently dissented. "Alice, I promised you that I won't send you back to that prison ever again and that we'll find a way to do so. You just have to trust me."

"O-Oz…" Alice beamed from delight and almost even had the urge to hug the boy. Somehow, she felt embarrassment creeping into her consciousness, so she just turned away to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Oh, that's too romantic!" Sharon suddenly squealed. "Master Oz is such a gentleman. No wonder even a little boy got too attached on you. You are quite the pleasant hero!"

Oz laughed at her reaction. She hit a nerve there.

"My, isn't the princess just saying that because of her obsession to young boys and her fantasies about them?" Break mentioned, earning a smack from Sharon and a '_shut up'_.

"Well, you should just think of him as nothing but air and just retire on your chamber to have your rest, master Oz. We'll be staying here so we could watch over you." And with that, Oz excused himself and head out to his own room.

* * *

"E-Er… Gil, Alice… what are you doing in here?" Oz asked, too shocked to see his two friends inside his room. After having their dinner, the two excused themselves ahead of them. It was probably because they were planning the very idea of sleeping with Oz that night. Who would have expected that the two of them had thought of doing the same thing?

"What? Have you become an idiot too like seaweed head here, Oz?" Alice asked, apparently not realizing that the word was a little offending. "It's obvious that I'm sleeping here!"

"Eh?"

"I'm sleeping here too," Gilbert added, "though, it's not like I want to be with stupid rabbit."

"EHHH?!"

"What? Don't give me that look. It's better this way. We don't want you disappearing again."

Oz paused for a second, and then sniggered. "I won't disappear, Gil."

"Isn't that what you said before? About not going anywhere… and then ending up being taken by some bad guys…"

"That won't happen again. You'll protect me both, right?"

Gilbert looked at Oz, dumbfounded and embarrassed, while Alice beamed and tackled Oz on the bed. "Of course! I'll protect my manservant at all cost!" she said, with Gilbert's follow-up statement, "You know, I'll do the same, Oz,"

Oz was more than happy to be home at last. Finally, he could sleep on his soft, comfortable bed without thinking of any of those nightmares. There was one thing he couldn't brush off his weary mind, though: a certain eleven-year-old, blue-haired boy whom he had spent his ill-fated one and a half days with. They had both grew attached on each other, even though that was from a really short period of time. He just couldn't muster why he had felt that way; maybe because of the boy's sweet character and his own innate friendly personality.

He had his eyes focused on the flickering fires of the hearth of his chamber; his mind steady so he could concentrate on thinking of his plans for next week. Gilbert and Alice had fell asleep ahead of him, much to Oz's relief after an hour of insisting that the blonde should just sleep while they kept watch on him. He knew how tired the two and the others were for searching for him. It would keep them in good shape the next morning if they managed to have a goodnight sleep. On the other hand, he, too, needed some rest, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to.

It was past midnight when Alice rose from her own nap. Seeing Oz still wide awake and completely lost in thoughts, Alice immediately tapped the lad on his shoulder to catch his attention. "Not asleep yet?" she asked while rubbing her right eye with her closed palm.

"A-Alice… Did I wake you up?" Oz asked, startled to see the girl awake. When Alice said no, Oz's worries went away in a flash. "Go back to sleep, please."

"No again! If you're not going to sleep then I'll stay awake with you!" she protested, almost into a fit of tantrums.

"A-Alright! Just keep your voice down," Oz hushed, keeping his voice as low as he could. "We'll wake up Gil."

"Hmp! Fine." Alice did as she was told and remained silent for a couple of minutes before interrogating Oz with another question. "What were you thinking of?"

"Nothing… just trivial things you need not to worry yourself with."

"Small things… Were you thinking of that boy you mentioned a while ago, then?"

Oz turned to his side to face Alice, his cheeks flushed. "J-Just what made you think that?"

"I don't know. I just had the feeling you were." Alice had all the time in the world to question Oz with whatever she felt like asking, but why does it had to be that question? "Are you in love, Oz?"

"I-In… Love?! With a boy?!" he almost yelped. Good thing, he was quick enough to cover his own protesting mouth. "T-That is outrageous!" Yes, very much to the core. There would be no way he would feel such shameful emotions to a boy, not to mention to a kid. But whenever he would think of that one_ Kiss_ they'd shared, he couldn't stop blaming his own thoughts and even doubt himself. "No… that was just a normal thing. I o-only did that to erase the bad memories," he involuntarily said it aloud, earning misinterpretation from Alice.

"So, being in love with the same gender is normal? And what of the bad memories you were talking about?"

"W-What? N-No, did I say that?" Alice nodded. Oz felt the need to smack his own face, but didn't do so in the end. "W-What you heard is nothing, Alice. Such shocking emotion towards the same sex is very immoral. I meant a very different thing for that."

Alice wasn't convinced at first. Being the very curious girl as she is, she harbored deep thoughts regarding the matter and only stopped when drowsiness attacked her again. "Ah, never mind. I'm going back to sleep. You should do the same, Oz, and stopped thinking of those trivial things of yours," she said, rather commanding, while stifling a heavy yawn; much unsightly for a lady such as her.

Oz sighed and rested his head down on his soft pillow. "Good night, Alice," he whispered, but the girl didn't have the chance to hear it for she was already fast asleep. Right, he should stop thinking of him or anything which reminds him of Ciel, until the next set of days intended for his second visit to the Phantomhive Manor. Right at that moment, he had a full week to spent resting.

* * *

**A/N:** Hints! Hints! Pairing hints! Ah, I found Alice very adorable lately. How I wished this liking would last. As far as the pairing goes, I'm a major fan of Oz x Alice and regards them as perfect for each other, but knowing myself as a diehard fangirl of Oz x Ciel, I will consider the matter as simply second to my preference. I beseech my loyal readers (if there are any) to please respect my utmost fondness to such a cute coupling. (And I'm uttering nonsense and couldn't quite comprehend what I am blubbering about! Goodness! I had been greatly infected by the conversations at Alison Weir's enticing novel: The Lady Elizabeth. Anyways, all hail the once Great Queen of England! I have a question though; this had been bugging me for a long time now, was Mary, Queen of Scots, and Bloody Mary Tudor the same person? I'm too lazy to gather notes about it. I am very fond of Scotland's Mary, and about Bloody Mary, after reading the Historical Novel, had found not a single liking to her. I am hopefully convinced that they are not the same.) Anyway, back to my fanfiction, I have four more chapters to go, and still thinking whether I will merge the sequel and this one into a single story if ever I got my drive and inspiration back.

(Honestly. I wrote that "Author's Note" right after I finished typing the chapter, which dated back from months ago. I just felt like attaching it here. XD)


	16. Genie of the Mansion

**Disclaimer: **I wish I am Yana or Jun.

**Author's Note:** First of all, I would like to apologize for being on hiatus. I swear I tried my best to update as soon as I could, but since my academic performance had urged me to focus on school and whatever shit I was doing these past few months, I was forced to abandon my writing career (which I doubt is improving. It's getting crappier each passing days). I'm sorry to those who waited for this. Really, I'm too ashamed of myself.

Honestly, I had planned of abandoning this; but when I decided to check on my account once again, I was happy to see at least two reviews urging me to continue. Thank you so much to those who reviewed. :)

I wanted to please my followers, especially my **_Xerxes-niisama_**, so yeah. And because **_animelovernewbie_** inspired me to write the next chapter, I ended up creating one. Alas, this one was rushed so expect it to be crappy. So sorry... I tried my best. Writer's block is eating my ideas.

**_To Happykonny:_** I really want to give you my deepest thanks, so here it is. I'm so glad you found this story cool and interesting. You just made my day. :D I'm having a hard time expressing my happiness. Anyway, I love you! XD

I hope you'll enjoy this! Tell me as soon as possible if you find something wrong and destructible. :)

* * *

**Chapter XVI:** Genie of the Mansion

Zwei had never been so happy. When she learned about Ciel's return, she hastily left her room and proceeded towards the chamber where her family was waiting. She didn't even bother to put on her coat and shoes to keep her warm; nothing matters as long as she could see her brother again.

"O-Oh, Ciel… my dear little brother," she called softly, as tears made its way down on her pale face. Ciel could only give her a genuine smile. Both children ran towards each other's embrace. Zwei did the best she can to properly hold her brother tightly despite the continuous tremble of her whole body. At that moment, all she wanted was to feel his warmth against her.

"I missed you so badly, sister. I was so afraid that I might not be able to see you again," Ciel responded, trying to shoo his tears away.

"I feel the same way and I'm so glad you're back now." She looked down this time to glance at him before she gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Tell me a story. Did anyone hurt—"

Vincent pulled the children apart from each other without warning in order to cut the girl's question. He gestured for them to sit with him—with Ciel on his lap and Zwei on his right side. "My daughter, I understand your constant worry for Ciel. But let us not ask your baby brother anymore questions. He had gone through a lot."

Zwei could sense genuine concern from her father's tone, so she decided not to pursue it any farther. But even if she tried not to feel anxious, she just couldn't do it. She looked up and glanced at Ciel, who had his face hidden on their father's neck. Fear instantly returned to her. What if she had caused her brother to remember the terrible experience he had? Whatever it was, it was probably bad. Vincent noticed it too. He knew what was coming. He asked his daughter to stay with her mother for the meantime, which they easily agreed upon. Zwei didn't question her father anymore. She knew that his fragile, little brother had been traumatized. What he needed the most was comfort and guidance from someone he's comfortable with.

"Do not blame yourself. You had done nothing wrong, my dear," Rachel said in a whim. She put a loving arm around her daughter and kissed her on the forehead. She knew that not only Ciel needs comfort, but Zwei as well. After all, she almost had an emotional breakdown. As her mother, Rachel wasn't there at her side at that time and was being selfish for only thinking of her son. If it wasn't for Charlotte, her daughter had been gone into such serious treatment. Right now, at least, only Ciel needed a serious therapy.

"Mother?" the girl looked up and asked, "What… happened to him?"

Rachel felt the pain coming back. After all the reassurance she got from her husband, she still could not forget the fact that her son—_her precious baby_—got tainted by the hands of those monsters. There could be no way in hell that she would forgive them.

"M-Mom?"

"I'm sorry, but it's not something a little girl should hear. Let us just forget about it for the time being. I'm sure it will be best for all of us."

Zwei acquired a great fright about the matter. Even if her mother did not tell her what it was, she had a feeling that it was something indecent—filthy in a sense that it involved great physical contact. She wanted to know the whole details, though. But if they told her to stop, then she's willing to let it pass for the sake of her little brother.

Meanwhile, Vincent decided to bring his son back to his room. Ciel hadn't said anything ever since they left and just remained on his father's arms. When they got in, the older Phantomhive sat on that little couch near the window and set Ciel down on his lap. "If there's something bothering you, you can always tell daddy, alright?" Ciel buried his face even deeper on his father's chest and let out a muffled sound. The latter responded by rubbing a hand on the boy's back. "I'm listening."

This time, the boy perked his head upwards, looked straight into his father's eyes, and said, "I-I'm sorry, daddy. I-It's because I didn't listen to you."

"About what?"

"A-About… talking to strangers and trusting them. I-I'm s-sorry."

"Shh… It's alright. It's not your fault." Vincent noticed the slight change on Ciel's tone. It was obvious that he was trying his best to look tough in front of him.

"I had disobeyed you."

"A father will always love and find a way to forgive his son no matter what sort of thing he'd done."

"Then, you'll forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Vincent answered with a smile. "You are both my big boy and my baby. I will never hate you. Even if you become a bad person or a crybaby, I won't care. I will still love you."

Ciel bit his lips, preventing his tears from falling. Instead of soothing him, Vincent had urged him to cry. As a result, he put away his façade and cried his hardest. It really pains Vincent seeing his children crying. But in order to cure him emotionally from the pain, he had no choice but to do it. After all, crying helps a lot in releasing stress.

"Oh, my sweet dear baby," Vincent cooed, mimicking what his wife usually says when cuddling Ciel, "Daddy's here." Somehow it did the trick and calmed the boy down. He wiped the tears from his face and gave him a big smile.

The boy responded by giving his father an embrace.

"Do you feel light now?"

Ciel nodded.

"That's better." He kissed Ciel on the cheek and smiled at him again. "Tell me something new. You mentioned about that boy who saved you. May I know his name, Ciel?"

"Oz Vessalius."

_Oz?_ Vincent thought for a moment. There was some sort of familiarity from that name. Somehow, he felt shivers running down his spine. "Was he a good friend?" he asked again, brushing the uneasy feeling away.

Ciel looked up and a little smile appeared on his lips. "Yes. I could have died if it wasn't for him." Yes. Vincent remembered what Ciel had told him about the details of their escape. Even if there was something odd about that boy, he was still thankful to him for rescuing his son. "Besides… he killed them for me."

Vincent could feel the fear in his own body doubling up. _Did he just hear him right?_ "W-What did you say?" He could see it as well—the fear that instantly crept on Ciel's demeanor. "Ciel, what is it?"

"N-No. I-I didn't say anything." The boy tried so hard to make up an excuse, but he was just no good at it.

"Tell me the truth." Vincent pinned both of his hands on Ciel's shoulder and urged him not to lie. But the boy was just simply not in favor in pursuing the matter.

"I-I said it's nothing!" Ciel tried all his might to push his father away. He freed himself from his grasp and ran away, urging his father to run after him.

Right on cue, Sebastian had just finished his job of assassinating the Viscount's men and was now patrolling the vicinity of the Phantomhive estate when he felt a warm small body bumped into him. He looked down and, to his surprise, saw Ciel at his side. "Young Master, what are you doing out here? You'll contract your flu again."

"S-Sebastian, let's go."

"W-Where?"

"To Oz… P-Please bring me to him," Ciel pleaded, this time with abundant tears on his eyes.

Sebastian scooped his young master into his arms and rubbed a hand on his back. "I'm sorry, Young Master, but I can't do that without earning permission from the Master. You do understand me, right?"

Ciel didn't respond and just chose to cuddle on his butler. Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief and then proceeded inside of the mansion where he saw a hurrying Earl.

"Sebastian, have you—" he stopped and almost cry from joy when he noticed the child Sebastin was carrying. "Oh, thank you. I thought I'll lose him again." When he tried to take Ciel away, the boy tightened his grip on his butler.

"What is the matter, Young Master?"

"Ciel, please come here. Don't make this hard for me. I promise I won't ask you anything again."

With that, Ciel looked back at his father and saw the genuine concern in his eyes. He went down from Sebastian and took Vincent's hand. "I'm sorry, daddy."

"It's nothing. Come, let's put you to sleep."

It was still quite early to go to rest, but Vincent believed that his son really needed it. When he tucked the boy under the covers and kissed him goodnight, Ciel—almost hesitantly—grabbed the hem of his father's sleeve and offered him a pleading stare. Vincent instantly got the picture that Ciel wanted him to stay despite their previous misunderstanding. So, then, he sat down on the bed and took the boy's hand in his own.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Could you tell me a story?"

"Of course. Let's see," Vincent began, following with, "Do you know what a Genie is?" Ciel looked at his father with curious eyes, and with that, Vincent was able to know the answer. "A Genie is a creature that grants wishes. They reside inside of vessels of all sizes."

"Then, does that mean that we have one here? Where can you usually find them?" Ciel asked; his bright wide eyes emitted interest.

"Probably. Finding one is not an easy task, little one. Usually, one can only obtain them if they had done something good. If you found one and was able to free it from its vessel, you would get a maximum of three wishes."

"Wow! That's cool! I want one too!"

"You will if you stay a good boy."

Ciel's excitement faded into a worried, sad look. He just suddenly remembered his actions from before. Without realizing it, Vincent proceeded by retelling him the story of the magic lamp. Ciel brushed off the thought and chose to listen to his father. When Vincent had finished with the storytelling, Ciel was still awake 'though his constant struggle with drowsiness was already apparent. "Sleepy?" Ciel shook his head, only to receive a slight chuckle from the older Phantomhive. "Very well, then. I have a situation for you." The boy listened as eagerly as possible. "Let us pretend that I am a Genie and I had given you three wishes, what would you make of them?"

Ciel thought for a moment before answering, "Make all the bad people disappear."

"That's a very hard wish. How I wish my Genie power will be able to accomplish that." Vincent smiled through his irritation when he remembered the two defiled souls who suffered from the hands of a mysterious persona. Not wanting to let the boy sees through his frustration, he returned to his usual façade in an instant. "Will that be all?"

"I…I… also wish for daddy, mommy, and sister not to leave me." Ciel blinked. His eyes were closing in already.

"Yes, we won't. You still have one last wish."

"I-I…I want… to be with Oz, again," and there it was; his tone almost as close to a whisper as his eyes finally shut to rest for the day.

Vincent whispered a good night as he watched the boy drifted to his sleep. Little Ciel was probably dreaming of genies and wishes by now. A little smile escaped from Vincent's lips. That last wish—he was very much sure that he could grant just that properly.

* * *

**A/N:** I feel like this chapter is a little out of place.

So... uhm... any comments?


	17. Invitation to a Ball

**Disclaimer: **_Disclaimer..._

**A/N:** Heeeeeey! I'm back! I'm so sorry for this delay. A-And... I'm sorry as well for making this chapter short! *cries* It's because of schooooool!

* * *

**Chapter XVII:** Invitation to a Ball

"A party?" A doubtful, surprised tone escaped Diederich's lips as he began to question his long-time partner-in-crime.

"Yes. You heard me right," the earl answered.

"Are you out of your mind, Vincent? It's only been a week since your son celebrated his birthday and got abducted, and now you're telling me that we should hold another party? Have you forgotten that it was because of that _party_ that Ciel almost lost his life—"

"I haven't. There's no reason for you to think that I have lost sympathy or became indifferent—or worse, gone insane on your standard."

Diederich sighed as he watched Vincent searched some documents in his table drawer. Somehow, the air inside the earl's office became tighter and hotter; he could almost feel his sweat running down from his own temple. Vincent surely was up to something again. He made sure of his assumption when the earl brought out a small piece of paper and then handed it to him.

"W-What is this?"

"Just a little favor I would like to ask," Vincent began. "You see, as far as the party goes, I need more help coming from my friends."

"What do you mean by _friends_?" Diederich gritted his teeth from annoyance. Surely, that idiot Phantomhive isn't what you'll normally call a friend. By the look of things, he's more like a slave driver. _Yes, that's all to it._ He could still remember the first time he lost against him back when they were still students at Weston. _Man_ _that was a humiliating defeat for an athletic prefect such as him_. _Plus, who would have thought that that smartass Phantomhive could play cricket better than him?_ He must have sold his soul to a demon to do that. But, still, knowing Vincent now, it might all be possible.

"What kind of favor is this? It's more like an order." Diederich examined it—an address was perfectly scribbled on the piece of parchment he was holding.

"What's wrong with just asking you to fetch someone for me?"

"Of course everything's wrong! You're turning me into an escort!"

"Honestly, that's not for me. It's for Ciel. He really wants to see that boy who saved him," Vincent explained. "I already sent them a letter. All you have to do is fetch them tomorrow."

"Why me? You have your servants, right?"

"Oh, I instructed them to prepare for the party. As for me, I'll go out of London to get someone."

"Hmm…fine." He sighed in defeat. "You better not make this gathering full of untrustworthy people, Earl."

Vincent gave his companion a sincere nod and a smile before answering, "Fear not. This is only exclusive for special visitors."

* * *

Oz was making sure his eyes didn't deceive him. He and the rest of his companions were sitting outside at the garden having their afternoon snacks, when a servant approached him and handed him a nice looking envelope. The said letter had a familiar insignia attached on the lid of it. If he wasn't mistaken, it belonged to a powerful family, and surely enough, he saw his uncle looking at a letter with the same emblem before. He just couldn't remember when.

"Who's it from, Oz?" Gilbert broke the silence by asking.

"O-Oh, yeah." Oz was very much focused on the symbol that he had forgotten to scan the back side of the letter. When he flipped it over, his eyes almost undergo a dramatic dilation. "H-Holy Mary Tudor!"

"W-What?"

"I-It's…It's from the Earl!"

"Earl who?" It was Sharon who asked next.

"E-Earl Phantomhive…" The rest of the souls who was with him looked at each other as if asking, _'Is receiving letter from the Earl too shocking?'_

"You don't understand! Earl Vincent Phantomhive is Ciel's father!" Oz answered, as if he suddenly had the ability to read people's minds. "Oh, my god. I'm getting nervous."

_Ciel?_ Oh, yes they remembered. It was the name of the boy Oz was with before.

"Oh! Isn't that wonderful! Maybe Ciel's daddy wants to thank you," Sharon squealed.

"Wouldn't that be a little too late, my lady?" Break butted in before taking a piece of blueberry cake and shoving it in his mouth. Sharon thought for a second, later on realizing that he was right.

"Why don't you just read what's inside?" Alice retorted. Oz felt the radiating annoyance being thrown at him. He carefully took the letter from the envelope, with his companions following his gaze. The message stated the following:

_Lord Oz Vessalius,_

_ A pleasant day, young lord. In behalf of my family, I would like to offer you our deepest thanks for rescuing my son. I am deeply moved at your show of bravery. What you did is beyond exchange, but I am willing to give you anything you ask of me in return._

_ I am informed of how surprisingly late this was and I sincerely want to apologize for that. If it will not be a bother, I would like to ask for your presence tomorrow. At the 19th hour of the day, there will be a small dinner party at the manor. As you probably know by now, my little Ciel is so eager to see you. I am certain that he'll be happy to have you. Also, I would like to have a little talk—just the two of us, if it will not be that demanding. There are a lot of things I would like to ask of you. I hope you won't deny this little request._

_ Regarding the celebration, Ciel knows nothing about it. You can just assume that this is a little surprise I'm pulling out for his sake. Be assure that I'll send someone to escort you to the manor. He'll be sure to come an hour before the designated time. And please, Lord Vessalius, do not hesitate to bring your friends with you. It will be an honor to see you all at the party._

_ Once again, good day._

_Lord Vincent Phantomhive_

_Earl of Phantomhive_

"He…He's inviting us," Oz murmured as he finished reading the contents. A combination of bliss and nervousness occupied his state of mind. To think that he had forgotten about the promise he left with Ciel. A week had passed; surely it would took him days before he could forgive himself for letting that important matter slipped his mind. Plus the worst part had to come by the earl sending him an invitation. _Seriously, what an embarrassing turn of events…_

"Isn't that great, Master Oz? You'll get the chance to meet him again and his family," Sharon complimented. She really has a way with conversations. The only fault she has is she's turning her words into something deeper.

_What is this? It's like I'm courting a girl,_ he thought.

"We'll have a dinner party! We'll go there, right, Oz?" It was Alice who broke his line of thoughts this time. Her annoyed expression was instantly replaced with an excited one.

"Stupid rabbit! Don't say that. It's not an invitation for us," Gilbert scolded. He received a snarl from the girl afterwards.

"But, Gil, the earl said that I can bring my friends. That means all of you are included."

"I-Isn't that a little embarrassing?"

"Yeah… but… It's the same. I won't go without you. I hardly know his family. I think, tomorrow will be only the second time I'll see his parents."

"Then… we have no choice. We'll all go."

"I think I'll have to pass," Break said. The other four all looked at him. "You kids should go ahead and play." Oz protested, only to be halted by Sharon who said something like, _'don't mind him. His presence is not that important after all'._ Oz responded by feeling sorry for Break, followed by Alice and Gil's laughter and Break's fake tears. "How rude, my lady. Anyway, Gilbert… as an adult, I'll entrust the youngsters' safety to you."

"Wha—who's an adult? I am obviously younger than stupid rabbit and Oz!"

"Yes, but _in appearance_, no."

The small crowd, except the one being bullied, let out a string of laughter. Oz felt like his usual surrounding coming back in a flash. An overflowing happiness radiated in his veins. Tomorrow, he'll get to see Ciel once again.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, that's it. I promise I'll make it up to you next time, guys! I hope you enjoyed that one. :)  
_Ciao!_ I love you, my dear readers!


	18. Prince Charming and Fairy Godparents

**Disclaimer: **I own only the Blaire siblings.

**A/N: **Here's the 18th chapter! Goodness, this one's a pain in the ass. I was not in the mood to write a good chapter, so I hope you'll point out my mistakes if you find any.

_**To Rees:** _Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're still asking for more. I hope you'll enjoy this one. :)  
_**To Animelovernewbie:** _Yeah! Here's the first part of the reunion!  
_**To everyone:**_ Enjoy! :D

* * *

**Chapter XVIII:** Prince Charming and Fairy Godparents

"U-Uhm, L-Lord Phantomhive?" Isabel bravely approached the Earl, who was currently picking wardrobes for his little visitors. The Blaire siblings and Vincent Phantomhive had just entered a high-class boutique.

"Yes, Miss Blaire?" Vincent bothered to look at his back and threw the confused young girl a smile.

"I-I apologize for asking, b-but what are we supposed to do, sir?"

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Please wait for a bit. This won't take long." He went back to what he was doing, 'though took another glance back at the siblings after a couple of seconds. "What color does you like best, Miss Isabel?"

"U-Uh—I… I l-like the color pink, sir."

"I see. How about Miss Ilyasviel?"

"R-R-Red, m'lord!" Ilya answered, embarrassed.

"Hm, I guess I'll have you choose, then. Go and pick the dress to your liking. Oh, and don't forget the apparels to go with that, as well." With that, the two girls almost exchanged shocked expressions. _An Earl had just told them to pick something to wear—not just ordinary dresses, but expensive gowns middle class people won't get to wear every day._ "Go on. I'll buy it for you. You should do the same, Mister Ivenrei."

The three both hesitantly and excitedly went to choose for the best clothing.

_Ah, that day did seem full of surprises. _Just that morning, the siblings were surprised to hear the sound of a stopping carriage in front of their humble house. There went out a man in his 30's who introduced himself as the Earl of Phantomhive. Well, of course, it gave out a real shock for them. To think that an Earl went all the way to visit them—it was a great honor, indeed; although they were confused why. It was then when Isabel noticed a certain resemblance between the Earl and Ciel. She wasn't mistaken about it, though. Even Ivenrei noticed it after remembering what Oz had told him about Ciel having a different father. Out from that revelation, they quite got a little bit idea to why the Earl just asked them to come with him to London. And now they were there at that boutique picking up their own expensive garments.

"Do you like that one?" Vincent asked with a smile. He just saw Isabel looking at a pink Lolita gown.

"U-Uh…I…I j-just thought that it's pretty, sir," Isabel answered, almost fidgeting at her own words.

"Then, it's settled."

"N-No, I… this kind of dress won't suit a fifteen-year-old girl like me."

Vincent let a small laugh. "Of course, it will." Before Isabel could protest, the Earl already called the one selling the stuff. "Excuse me. Can you please take this young girl's measurements? We would like to buy this set. Can you give her the one fitted for her?"

"Of course, m'lord. That would be 5,000 guineas," the lady answered with her happy business-like tone.

"_F-Five… Five thousand guineas just for a dress? If I'm not mistaken, it's the same as in pounds,_" Isabel blurted out in her mind. She suddenly had the urge to snatch the dress and replace it with something cheaper. _But who is she kidding?_ No matter what she ended up choosing among those pile of dresses and accessories, all of it would be expensive. _Plus, now that she thought about it, £ 5000 is a little cheaper for a high-class boutique such as this._

"Will that be all, m'lord?"

"As for now. I still have two sets coming. If you will be so kind to wait for it." With that, the lady nodded and decided to take Isabel's measurement first.

At that first and last stop, the siblings ended up having all that they had chosen, with additional stuff. Vincent had bought them things from their headdresses down to their shoes. The three thought that they would be sent home after that, but instead they were brought to the Phantomhive Mansion for a special dinner party. It was around five when they got there. Instead of going through the main door, they all went in from the back in order not to spoil any surprises.

Meanwhile, Oz and his friends had just finished preparing for their visit to the Phantomhives and were currently waiting for the escort the earl had mentioned at his letter. At exactly six in the afternoon, the said person finally arrived.

"Ah, good day, sir! You must be the one the Earl sent. I apologize for—" Oz had to stop after seeing the look on the man's face. From what he could see, the _gentleman_ was probably a German. Why would the earl sent a stern-looking man to fetch—as majority would describe—_children_? Whatever it was, it had to have a reason.

"Are you the Vessalius kid?" the man asked with a flat tone.

"U-Uh, y-yes, sir! A-And these are my friends… I would like to have them come too, if it will not be a bother, s-sir," he added, introducing Alice, Sharon, and Gilbert.

"Come in. Vincent would kill me if I refuse."

"_So, it's a request between friends, hah?_" Oz nodded and went inside the carriage after Alice and Sharon settled in, followed by Gilbert who was simply pissed off by Diederich's cold greeting.

* * *

"There you are, dear! You're all set!" Rachel clapped her hands together after a job well done. She was asked by her husband to help the sisters with their clothes and hair. She had just finished helping Ilyasviel and was now letting the girl see her reflection in the mirror. Both sisters had their hair let loose, with pretty headdresses sitting atop their heads. Ilyasviel was wearing a small imitation coronet, with a huge ribbon attached on its side, and a black Lolita dress with red ribbons and laces. Isabel, on the other hand, had a small hat as a headdress—a white ribbon and a huge rose were attached on it—and she was wearing the same pink dress from before, 'though hers has a longer skirt compared to Ilya's. Isabel believed that she had gone through a huge transformation like the girl who was given a chance to attend the ball through the help of her fairy godmother. Although, in Isabel's case, she had both a fairy godfather and a fairy godmother.

After a while, there came a soft knock from the door. Vincent entered with Ivenrei following behind. In contrast to the girls, the lad was wearing an elegant dress-coat with a matching black thin ribbon and trousers.

"May the young ladies care to join us in the drawing room?" Earl Vincent asked. After thanking and bidding the Countess a goodbye, Isabel and Ilya joined the two males outside. On their way to the next hallway, they came across the ever-faithful butler of the Phantomhives. "Ah, there you are, Sebastian."

"My lord, I deeply apologized for this delay. I have delivered the tea for our guests in the drawing room," Sebastian responded. "Let me accompany you." With a nod coming from Vincent, Sebastian eagerly followed—only to be halted by a distant high-pitched voice of a boy.

"Sebastian!" When the demon butler turned around, he was welcomed by a sudden bear-hug by Ciel. "Finally, I caught you!"

"I-It's Ciel!" Ilyasviel announced in a whisper. Her siblings both let a happy face.

"Young Master, how many times do I have to tell you never to run in hallways? You might hurt yourself," Sebastian said in a calm voice, returning the hug the boy offered. Apparently, Ciel didn't notice his father and the siblings.

"I'm sorry. I was just excited to play with you."

"Oh, I apologize, young master. But I think we have to set that aside for later. You see, your father has visitors right now whom I need to attend to."

"Visitors?" Ciel looked ahead and saw his father, who gave a little wave, and three other individuals whom he didn't recognize at all. "Oh, I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't know."

"It's alright, Ciel." Vincent smiled at both and then gave Sebastian a little order. "It's fine. Just resume on playing with Ciel. I'll attend to them."

"I am deeply sorry, my lord. _It's not like we're actually playing right now. Oh, well…_"

* * *

"That's quite not right. Ciel didn't recognize us," Isabel told her siblings as soon as they settled inside the drawing room with teas and snacks.

"Maybe our meeting was in stored in his short-term memory only," Ivenrei assumed.

"I don't think he actually forget about us," this is time it was Ilyasviel who countered the earlier statement. "Maybe he was just really looking forward to playing that he hadn't had the time to look at people. Remember, he didn't even notice his own father."

"I see, you have a point."

Vincent stared at the three youths opposite his seat. He was trying so hard to conceal his smile. But it turned out futile in the end when Ilyasviel accidentally casted an eye on him. Even if he didn't want to pry into other people's business, he had no choice but to say something to soothe their minds. "I'm sorry about earlier. I'm certain that my son didn't mean it."

"O-Oh no, sir. It's not really a big deal for us. I'm sure he had his reasons," Isabel explained.

"Yes. I think it's because of our appearance right now."

"B-Besides, sir. We're not really that close to him. He spent his short stay in our house resting. It's always Oz whom we were able to have lengthy conversations with."

"I see." Vincent nodded and then took a sip from his tea before releasing another question. "About that… How was that boy?"

"Y-You mean Oz, sir?" Another nod. "He's a sweet brother. He kept watch of Ciel the entire night."

"Hmm…" There was an amused smirk on the Earl's lips now. _Oz is really an interesting lad._

Ivenrei noticed that smile. Somehow, it was both soothing and mysterious. "_If I'm correct, the Earl is the second husband of Oz's mother. Is what Isabel said a bad thing? Right, come to think of it, we already met the Earl's wife… and Oz said that his mother is dead. Could the countess be the second wife already? Ah, family matters sure is complicated._"

"Is something wrong, Mister Ivenrei?"

"E-Eh, uhmm… No, there's nothing, sir."

"Is that so—" Vincent was cut off from that when a meek knock penetrated their ears. "Excuse me. Please, enter."

When Zwei heard the approval, she slowly opened the wooden door and took a peek inside. "I heard you were here—Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know we have visitors."

"It's alright. Come in, Zwei." Zwei followed her father's order and went to stand near his seat. Vincent smiled and took her hand. "This is my daughter, Zwei Phantomhive. Zwei, these are Miss Isabel, Miss Ilyasviel, and Mister Ivenrei Blaire. The three of them are siblings and the ones who took in your brother," he introduced, pin-pointing at each of his guests. Zwei smiled and curtsied. The three shyly greeted her back.

"_So, she's Ciel's sister? Her hair is almost silver,_" Ivenrei resumed in his thoughts.

"Do you want me with something, Zwei?"

"Oh, I just wanted to ask if you saw Ciel."

"He's with Sebastian right now. What do you need him for?"

"I-I just want to see my little brother. I-Is that… something wrong, dad?"

Vincent laughed a little. "Of course not, my dear. But, can I just ask for a favor this time?"

"It's alright, dad. Anything for you."

"Thank you. Can you please accompany them for now? Just until the party starts."

Zwei looked at the direction of the Blaires and offered them a smile. She nodded and took her seat, while Vincent bid them goodbye for the meantime and head out to meet another batch of visitors.

* * *

The door of the carriage Oz and the others finally opened. A huge, beautiful mansion that stood in the center of that white-filled forest greeted them. Even though the cold wind was biting through their skins, the image in front of them defied all the external negative feelings they had. The place was just surprisingly different from where Oz grew up. It has a comforting, yet somewhat dark aura.

The Phantomhive's footman greeted them with a shy, yet warm welcome. That instantly added to the appeal of the mansion; plus the perfectly decorated main hall caught their tastes, as well. Oz casted his eyes around the whole room and was only stopped when he heard footsteps coming down from the stairs. There emerged the Earl, together with the Countess, Zwei, and the Blaires.

"Thank you for responding to my invitation, Lord Vessalius. I am pleased to see all of you here tonight," Vincent greeted, followed by Rachel. The four youngsters all returned their greetings. Oz felt like his heart would burst any moment now from nervousness, but still managed to answer the couple with the same sincerity.

"_So, Oz was invited?_" Ivenrei thought. "_He was addressed as a lord, not by his name, even though he's like the Earl's step son._" He sneered this time and mentally scolded himself. "_Why am I even concerning myself with these things?_"

"Ah, yes. I hope you'll remember. I specifically went to take your other friends here so that you'll have the chance to see each other again." When Vincent informed the blonde, his eyes darted off to the side and saw the siblings. His mind rejoiced and his body voluntarily ran to greet his friends.

"Miss Isabel! Ivenrei! Miss Ilya! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Yes, we feel the same way! Thanks the Earl!" Ivenrei said in return, while Ilyasviel followed with a smile. Isabel stepped forward and took Oz's hand, which earned a shocked, and almost protective, expression on Alice's and Sharon's faces. "I'm so glad to see you again, Oz." Oz knew the red stain on his cheeks was quite apparent now due to the sudden realization that his hands were touched by Isabel. Still, though, he tried his best to conceal it and properly responded to the girl. They both managed to return to their usual posts before the earl spoke again.

"Now then, this is my daughter. I hope you all could spend the time with each other."

Oz's stare fell at the silent teenager at the countess' side. "_So, that's her… She sure is pretty. I understand now why Ciel wanted to marry her._" His mind was instantly caught by the image of the blue-haired boy waiting patiently for him. He and his sister sure do have those resemblances, but still, he couldn't feel the boy's presence in her.

"Why don't you all introduce yourselves with each other first? We'll see you later at dinner." Vincent turned to his back now, but before entirely doing so, he told Oz, "Don't worry, Oz. I'm sure he'll be here in a minute."

Just then, the moment the couple were no longer in sight, a pair of hasting boots were heard.

"Sister! Sister, where are you?!" By the corner, there emerged a running Ciel.

"Ciel, I'm here!" Zwei responded. When the young boy saw her, he had his happy demeanor on; but it was soon replaced by a surprised, longing expression when his eyes finally adjusted to the presence of the others. Instead of running to his sister, he ran straight to a certain blonde-haired boy.

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, poor Zwei got neglected by her beloved baby brother. It was all Oz's fault. Hahaha! I'm sorry this got a little out of hand. I tried to make it as interesting as possible. But I guess I just can't. I'm currently hooked with Nova x Liberta Pairing of _La Storia della Arcana Famiglia_, so my mind is not really that working when it comes to my Ciel x Oz fantasies right now. _(As a side note: Anyone knows that Anime? If you do, can you make me a fanfic concerning these two gorgeous guys? Please! Nova looks like an older version of Ciel, and he's 15, while Liberta is like Oz in some ways. Tee-hee. I can see Oz in him, maybe because he has blonde hair and green eyes too. I think Liberta is around 18 years old.) _

By the way, I have to apologize again for this. I just want to end this chapter, since I only have two more chapters to go (presumably). Anyway, please look forward to it!

Oh, and yes… about your reviews. Do you guys want me to reply to your messages every time you send me one? I just want to ask since I know some doesn't like it. After all, everyone is different. Just tell me at the end of your message if you want me to. Okay? I'm willing to have a chit-chat with you!

I mean it like this, for example:

From: *insert name*

*Insert message*

PS: No, it's okay. You don't have to reply to this review anymore,

OR

Oh, sure you can reply!

THERE. Easy, right? Don't forget, okay?

_Au revoir!_


	19. Author's Note

**THIS NOTE WILL BE ERASE AS SOON AS THE NEXT CHAPTER IS READY.**

_**Author's Note:** _I'm sorry if I'm always late on updates. I don't have that much time. Like I said from my previous notes, school requirements are bitching me... And seriously, I need help! I'm lacking ideas for the next chapters! Mind giving me some suggestions? Pleaaaaassseee!

Plus, are you guys in favor of another BL scene between Ciel and Oz? Or do you prefer their current "family set-up"? (I am seriously planning to make Oz kiss him again!) I would just like to remind you that Ciel is a KID (eleven, to be exact) and I don't want to disappoint you if ever I ended up doing it. Just tell me your concerns. I'm willing to accept any advice.

Thanks in advance. Please bear with me for the meantime.


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